


Look After You

by snarkysweetness



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family, Flashbacks, Friends to Lovers, POV Alternating, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-22
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2017-11-10 12:33:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 95
Words: 114,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/466301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkysweetness/pseuds/snarkysweetness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The courtship of Emma Swan and August W. Booth from ‘True North’ onward. This is a behind-the-series story on how I see their relationship developing throughout the first season and then into my own version of what happened after the finale. There’s a lot of character development and backstory that we don’t really see in the show, but is hinted at. We can call this a character study with plot, if you will.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> These two own my mind and I have no regrets about this. I don’t have a set number of chapters for this because I keep breaking things up or adding new chapters, but most of the story is done, so it will be finished. Everything in this story can be considering canon, just an altered view on what we see, since the show doesn’t show everything, and we do have evidence of some August scenes being cut from episodes. It all follows what actually happens in the show, so if some things look familiar, that’s why.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma reads over her own case file and bonds with Henry when a Stranger rides into town, reeking of intrigue and sex appeal.

Emma hated this case.  
  
The election had kept her mind off of Graham, because she’d been so busy trying to beat Regina at her own game, but the moment that it was all over and Emma was wearing his badge, sitting in his chair, working at his desk, the grief became too much to bear. She’d begged the universe to give her anything to keep her mind off of her short-lived love affair with the former Sheriff and his sudden death.  
  
Unfortunately for her, she’d gotten her wish.  
  
Next time, she’d remember to be more specific.  
  
Helping the Zimmer twins connect with their father brought forward a mess of issues that Emma had been attempting to put behind her since arriving in Storybrooke. Issues she hadn’t had time to dwell on because Henry had become her main concern.  
  
Giving Henry up hadn’t been easy, but she’d been young and stupid and recovering from an abusive relationship that no one at her age needed to have to deal with. Before she’d grown up and come to accept that her decision had really been in Henry’s best interest, Emma had considered taking her son back dozens of times, because she’d fallen in love with him before he’d even been born and having to deal with being alone again had been terrifying.  
  
In an effort to not ruin Henry’s life by tracking him down, she’d focused all of her energy into finding her own parents.  
  
Her twenties had mostly consisted of the disappointment of finding nothing and of coming to the realization that she hadn’t been wanted.  
  
Emma continued to search because it was better than dwelling on the child she’d given up. So she’d kept at it, until Henry had shown up and thrown a wrench in her life. Ever since, finding her parents hadn’t mattered, making sure Henry was safe and that giving him up had really been the right choice had become her focus.  
  
But now?  
  
She flipped through the file she’d compiled over the years about herself. Aside from the blanket she’d been wrapped in as a child, she had no clues concerning her parents. Everything always led her right back to that small diner near the Highway. It was as if her parents hadn’t existed and she’d just appeared out of thin air one day.  
  
It was maddening.  
  
She had no clue where she came from or why she’d been left on the side of the road. The baby blanket was the only hint she had that maybe her parents had loved her. It had been a fantasy she’d held onto during those long nights in her foster homes, thinking that maybe her parents were looking for her too, that they missed her, that they’d come for her. And then she’d grown up and accepted that she simply hadn’t been wanted.  
  
She’d been sixteen when she finally accepted that there were no such things as fairytales and that her life was in her own hands. No one was going to save her, so she needed to save herself.  
  
Of course, that mentality hadn’t lasted long. After emancipating herself at the age of seventeen, while working nights at a small diner, and days at a grocery store to support herself, Emma met who she thought would be her knight in shining whatever, but ended up being nothing more than a rebel without a cause who brought Emma down into his world of bullshit, before leaving her alone and pregnant.  
  
She couldn’t even remember how she’d ended up in jail, just that it was Henry’s father’s fault. She’d been an unknowing accessory to one of his many crimes.  
  
He really was better off with a lie. The kid needed something happy in his life.  
  
Emma had the worst track record when it came to men. They either abandoned her or died in her arms.  
  
Henry didn’t need to be made aware of these things. He was an innocent kid and it wasn’t like his father was going to stroll into town looking for him, so what was the harm? She’d meant it when she told Mary Margaret that he was better off not knowing the truth.  
  
Emma flipped through her file, thinking about those kids and their father and her own parents when she heard footsteps and looked up to find Henry.  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“Just an old file, what’s up?”  
  
Henry did not need to know about her search for her parents. Just one more thing on the long list of things she wanted to protect him from.  
  
“Pumpkin Pie, I thought you’d like some.”  
  
Emma gave him a sad smile.  
  
She had the best kid in the world and when he did things like that, it reminded her that she had nothing to do with who he’d become and maybe being here in this town, expecting to catch Regina abusing him in some way, really was a stupid thing to be doing.  
  
“It was pumpkin, right?”  
  
Stupid, maybe, but every moment she spent with him was worth it.  
  
“Right.”  
  
Emma stepped out of her police cruiser and joined Henry on the street.  
  
“Henry, about your father-“  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
She hated lying to him, but what other choice did she have? Tell him that his father was a drug-abusing, alcoholic with no respect for the law or for any other human being? And then throw in the part where he liked to get violent after a few drinks? Especially when she was in the room?  
  
Emma looked into his sweet, innocent, imaginative face and knew that she couldn’t take the fairytale away from him, not like it’d been ripped away from her.  
  
The lie was better for Henry.  
  
“I’m glad I told you.”  
  
“Me too.”  
  
Henry threw his arms around her and Emma’s heart ached.  
  
Guilt told her that she could have done more to make a life for him and keep him. Reason told her that she’d made the right decision.  
  
Emma pulled away with a sigh and took the pie, putting on a smile; just another show for the kid.  
  
“Give me that.”  
  
“What you did, with Ava and Nicholas, you really are changing things.”  
  
Emma lifted an eyebrow. Not the curse, again. Boy, Regina had messed their kid up, hadn’t she?  
  
Before Emma could respond, the quiet street was suddenly filled with the load roar of a motorcycle’s engine.  
  
She watched with confusion as a stranger got off the bike and removed his helmet, making his way towards the pair. Since moving here months ago, she’d never seen anyone new arrive to town. His appearance was curious.  
  
And attractive.  
  
Very, very attractive.  
  
And dangerous.  
  
No, mysterious.  
  
That was it. He was the mysterious type.  
  
Just the type of man she was known to fall for.  
  
And just the type she had no intention of getting involved with.  
  
“Hi.”  
  
“Hey.”  
  
“Is this Storybrooke?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
What, he didn’t know what town he pulled into?  
  
“Is there any place to get a room around here?”  
  
She exchanged a look with Henry, who looked bewildered at the idea of someone new in town.  
  
“You’re staying?”  
  
Emma was ready to tell Henry he was being a bit rude, but the stranger didn’t seem to mind.  
  
In fact, he gave Henry his full attention.  
  
“That’s the plan. Just looking for a bed.”  
  
Remembering that she was the Sheriff and it was probably part of her job to be polite to anyone coming in to town and to keep a close eye on them, just in case, Emma decided to make an attempt at being friendly.  
  
“Granny’s Bed and Breakfast is just up the road. Another two blocks.”  
  
Oh, she did not like the way he was looking at her.  
  
Definitely dangerous.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
And there was that look again.  
  
Just great.  
  
There was a new guy in town undressing her with his eyes, being all mysterious and sexy, and with the leather and the bike and the sexy stubble. Regina was going to love this.  
  
“Hey, I didn’t catch your name,” Emma called, realizing she would need something to call him if she ran into him again.  
  
“That’s ‘cause I didn’t give it.”  
  
Mysterious _and_ cheeky.  
  
As he left, Emma remembered something Henry had told her once.  
  
“I thought you said strangers don’t come to Storybrooke.”  
  
“They don’t.”


	2. The Sheriff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August W. Booth rolls into town with the intention of finding his one-time charge, but he meets a sexy Sheriff on the way to Granny’s.

August really had been enjoying himself in Phuket.  
  
He’d been holed up in hotel along Hat Patong with a beautiful redhead whose name escaped him, along with her brunette roommate, whose name he did remember, because it was, ironically, Emma.  
  
He always tried to avoid having sex with women who shared the Princess’ name because it always opened his wound of guilt. But there were times when he felt like not only opening the wound but pouring salt all over it so he’d go for it, repeatedly, until his self-loathing took over and he ended up on a three-week long bender, because he enjoyed emotional masochism.  
  
August W. Booth never got over the guilt of abandoning Emma. Not only was she the Princess of his Kingdom and his charge, but he’d genuinely loved the little girl as a child. They’d had no one but each other and he’d been stupid and frightened enough to leave her.  
  
Within a day of abandoning the Princess he knew he’d made a mistake and had been willing to go back after her and endure the abuse of the people running the group home, but he’d been a child in a new world that was unfamiliar to him. He hadn’t known how to go back to the group home.  
  
He only knew her last name because he’d made it up for her, along with his own name.  
  
Running away really had been stupid; he’d been caught and ended up right back in the system. He spent years bouncing around to different foster homes. At the age of fifteen he ran away, intent on finding her; another stupid idea. Aside from her name he knew nothing about her or where she’d been sent to after the group home. He couldn’t exactly waltz into the Department of Social Services and expect them to hand over her address after all.  
  
Sometime between being carted back to yet another foster home and graduating High School, he’d discovered the joy in escaping his guilt between a woman’s legs while drunk off of a bottle of Jack. The habit stuck. He slept and drank his way through two years at a community college before taking off for Amsterdam. There he’d discovered that living life both high and drunk was an even better way to lose oneself. After drinking his way through Europe and Asia, he’d settled down in Thailand, intent on writing his story so that he could find a way to make things right with Emma.  
  
And he’d work at it, for a few months, once for an entire year. Then he’d start drinking again, hiding in the drug filled haze that his guilt and self-loathing had built, ignore the fact that he needed to man up and find Emma, help her break the curse, and find his father. Then he’d sober up again. And the moment he’d decide it was time to go find, he’d meet some tourist who shared her name, which would lead to a deep depression fueled by Scotch or Whiskey or Absinthe and not leave his room for days.  
  
Eventually he’d stopped trying.  
  
August hadn’t been sober in years.  
  
So when he woke up one morning in October with a pain in his leg, he’d shrugged it off as a side effect of having too much to drink the night before. It wasn’t until he attempted to get out of bed before his bedmates awoke and fell to the ground, unable to move his left leg that he realized something was wrong.  
  
When he finally looked at the damn thing, the entire leg from below the knee was wood.  
  
It didn’t take him long to realize what it meant. Emma was breaking the curse without his help and this was his punishment for abandoning her.  
  
At first he’d been willing to accept his punishment. Maybe he’d just die? And it would be best. He was nothing but a drunken writer who couldn’t stay sober long enough to finish anything. He’d abandoned the only person he’d ever been responsible for. And what would his father think?  
  
Geppetto was the only reason August hesitated for so long. He couldn’t bear to face his father after everything.  
  
He’d been given the gift of life and he’d done nothing but waste it on loose women who he’d never love, destroying his liver, and running.  
  
But then it hit him that if Emma broke the curse, his father would be looking for him. He couldn’t put him through that kind of pain. August at least owed him the knowledge that his son was still alive. And then he decided that while it wouldn’t fix anything, maybe he could still help Emma break the curse.  
  
So August packed his things and took off on the first plane back to Boston. He mapped out the location where they’d entered through this world, marking off the small towns nearby. It took three weeks for him to sober up. Then another five weeks to investigate all of the towns in the area before discovering Storybrooke.  
  
On his first trip into town he immediately recognized The Blue Fairy and was gone before anyone noticed him.  
  
She hadn’t aged. In nearly thirty years, she hadn’t aged.  
  
The shock made him realize that he had no fucking clue what he was doing. He didn’t know anything about the curse other than it had sent them all here and Emma needed to find her parent and break the curse. So he retreated to a nearby town to compile all of the information he could remember about the curse and magic and their world; anything that he could use to help Emma.  
  
Once he hit the two month sober mark, he began to feel like himself for the first time in years. He was sharper, clearer, and determined to make up for his past mistakes.  
  
He wasn’t going to screw up or run this time.  
  
So here he was, sober, on his motorcycle, with his typewriter along for the ride, sucking up his remorse and riding into town. He wanted nothing more than to find his father, but he didn’t want to face him until he felt like he’d redeemed himself enough to face him. To maybe not be such a disappointment to him.  
  
Until then, Emma needed to have his full attention.  
  
August had no idea where to stay because he hadn’t wanted to risk the mission by being seen lurking around the town, so the moment he saw people, he pulled over.  
  
Stepping off his bike, he ran a hand through his hair to fix the mess his helmet had made. It took him a moment to realize he was approaching the Sheriff; the very attractive Sheriff. He was sober and determined to clean up his act, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate an attractive female when he saw one. He didn’t even notice she had her kid with her when he approached because he was too busy admiring her.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
She looked surprised to see him. It occurred to him that people probably didn’t come to Storybrooke very often because of the curse. He’d need to dig around some more to find out everything he didn’t already know about it, which was admittedly not much.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
She seemed familiar to him, which wasn’t surprising. She was probably one of the many Princesses from his world. Which one? Cinderella? Sleeping Beauty? Rapunzel?  
  
Yet, as he looked her over, she didn’t feel like a Princess to him. Sure, she had the beauty, but there was something very unrefined about her and he liked it.  
  
He reminded himself to like it a little less.  
  
“Is this Storybrooke?”  
  
It never hurt to make sure. It also didn’t hurt to continue to make conversation with the hot Sheriff.  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Is there any place to get a room around here?”  
  
Drunken August would have suggested going back to her room, but the real August possessed manners, thanks to his father. He also knew how to woo a woman properly, even if he’d never actually bothered to do it. He could tell she wasn’t the one-night stand type and he was okay with that because he was here for Emma, not to woo or bed pretty Sheriffs.  
  
“You’re staying?”  
  
August looked down, noticing the kid for the first time. He was clearly hers, they had the same face, the same fierce look to them, and there was a bond in their body language. There was something about the kid that made August instantly like him. He had a curious glint in his eyes, which reminded him of a young, innocent Pinocchio.  
  
He hadn’t been Pinocchio in a long time and he couldn’t refer to himself as anyone but August. August and Pinocchio were two completely different people.  
  
Hopefully this kid stayed innocent, like Pinocchio should have.  
  
“That’s the plan. Just looking for a bed.”  
  
“Granny’s Bed and Breakfast is just up the road. Another two blocks.”  
  
He looked back at the Sheriff and couldn’t help but grin again.  
  
She was going to distract him from the mission. He hoped Emma wasn’t half as sexy as this one was or he really would be in trouble. The kind of trouble that would make Pinocchio’s trip to Pleasure Island seem like an innocent night on the town.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
Deciding it would be best to stop undressing the Sheriff with his eyes, he made his way back to his bike.  
  
“Hey, I didn’t catch your name.”  
  
He glanced back at her, deciding to flirt, just a little.  
  
“That’s ‘cause I didn’t give it.”  
  
August was the mysterious type; he had to be, being a writer who never stayed in one place and who couldn’t exactly share the truth of his origin, but a part of his plan to help Emma involved a certain amount of appearing dangerous and secretive, to attract the attention of a certain someone.  
  
From the look on the Sheriff’s face, August could tell he was attracting more attention than he’d originally planned.  
  
With a small smirk, he put his helmet back on and rode off in the direction of Granny’s.


	3. The Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August takes an interest in Henry with the hope that it will make Emma take an interest in him.

August took his room key from Granny, smiling as he did so. She couldn’t remember him, but he remembered her fondly. She’d made the little red hat he’d worn as a boy, along with Emma’s baby blanket. Widow Lucas had been his surrogate grandmother, a dear friend to his father.  
  
August’s chest ached. He missed his father. He missed him so much it was painful. He’d missed him for years but the alcohol had hid his feelings. Now he had to feel them all the time.  
  
But he needed to wait.  
  
Emma came first and then his father.  
  
“I don’t suppose you know an Emma. Emma Swan?”  
  
All it took was a smile for the old woman to fall for his charm. He knew better than to arouse her suspicion with the mysterious stranger bit. Besides, he had a way with women naturally.  
  
“You mean Sheriff Swan?”  
  
Sher-  
  
August shook his head, smiling. Of course she was the Sheriff. Talk about irony.  
  
“Yes, the Sheriff. I just met her and her when I rode into town. Cute kid.”  
  
Granny’s face fell for a moment, not long, but long enough for August to realize there was a story to be told. “Right, Henry. Come on then, I’ll show you to your room.”  
  
It took less than one flight of stairs to get Granny to spill about Henry. Like most small towns, everyone in Storybrooke knew everyone else’s business. They also were quick and willing to share it. That would definitely come in handy later.  
  
He thanks Granny with a kiss to the old woman’s hand, which made her blush, and retreated to his room to settle in. August set his typewriter down on the desk, tossed his duffle bag aside, and kicked off his shoes, not bothering to undress as he threw himself onto the bed to think.  
  
So, the Evil Queen had adopted the Savior’s son. Why did he have a feeling Rumpelstiltskin had been involved in this mess? And if he was…did that mean they remembered? If so, it explained Emma coming back to town. It also raised too many questions about how the kid had been found and why Emma had been purposefully brought here. Did someone want the curse broken?  
  
August buried his face in his hands.  
  
It didn’t matter who had brought the kid here or why because it should have been him bringing her to town, not her kid. A kid! He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t help the scenarios of how horrible Emma’s life must have been without him. He wouldn’t have been able to stick with her with the way the system worked, but she wouldn’t have been alone.  
  
And she’d given up her kid. He couldn’t imagine how difficult that decision had been to make, especially since she clearly loved the kid enough to still look out for him.  
  
He poured himself a glass of water, resisting the urge to drink.  
  
The kid could help. From what Granny had spilled, the kid believed they were all fairytale characters based on some book of his. She’d told August the small tidbit with a smile, clearly fond of the boy.  
  
Maybe the book would have some answers. He’d have to find a way to get his hands on it and to talk to the kid. Maybe convincing Emma the curse was real wouldn’t be too difficult. Once she believed she could break it, right? The only way August knew how to break a curse was with True Love’s kiss, but that seemed too simple in this case.  
  
He decided to stick to his original plan but to help the kid on the side as a back-up.  
  
A few mornings later, August rode off for the Mayor’s house, which wasn’t hard to find. The town was small and the house stood out. He decided the best way to get Emma to talk to him would be to get her to seek him out. Easiest way to do that would be to get the kid asking questions, so he ‘broke down’ across the street and pretended to work on his bike as he waited for the kid to leave for school and approach him. The kid was the curious sort; he wouldn’t be able to resist asking questions. August knew his type well because he’d been exactly the same way.  
  
“What are you doing here?”  
  
August loved being right.  
  
He looked up and had to admit, the kid was sort of adorable. If he had a kid, he’d want him to be like Emma’s kid; smart, curious, and fearless. Ruby was extremely chatty when she came to bring him breakfast each morning in the diner. He knew just about everything about everyone in town at this point.  
  
“Fixing my bike.”  
  
“No, I mean in Storybrooke.”  
  
August’s attention went to putting his bike back together.  
  
“Just visiting.”  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“A box.”  
  
Granny was right, the kid grew on you; fast.  
  
“What’s inside it?”  
  
He was a precocious little thing. August had to resist the urge to smile.  
  
“Just something I need to do what I came here for.”  
  
August grabbed his helmet and looked down at the kid. Once he was done with this whole mysterious stranger act, he was going to enjoy actually getting to know the kid. He’d decided to stop feeling guilty and avoided telling himself that if he’d stuck around like he should have, he would already know the kid. He chose to instead focus on the fact that he’d help Emma break this curse and stick with her until the end. It wouldn’t repair anything, but at least he’d make a dent in repenting for his sins against her.  
  
“I thought you were just visiting.”  
  
And he was a little bit of a smart-ass, August appreciated that trait.  
  
“Doesn’t mean I don’t have something to do.”  
  
He spotted the Ev-no, Mayor, in his peripheral vision and started his bike. He wasn’t sure if she remembered who she really was, but August didn’t want to risk incurring her wrath. He wasn’t a child anymore, but the memories of the horrible things she’d done back in the Enchanted Forest were enough to frighten him just enough to know that pissing her off was a bad idea.  
  
“Henry!”  
  
August revved his bike, preparing to leave.  
  
“Better get to school. Looks like a storm’s coming.”  
  
August rode off before he there was a risk of encountering Regina.


	4. The Day From Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma’s having a bad day and is not in the mood for Regina’s B.S., but she gets to deal with it anyway.

Emma’s day was proving to be the day from Hell. She’d dropped Henry off the night before after catching him out after dark, again, gotten zero sleep because she’d spent the night poring over her case files, and then this morning, she’d caught Mary Margaret in a lie, so she’d followed her to Granny’s to figure out what in the Hell she’d gotten herself into now.  
  
And it was more trouble, of course.  
  
Getting involved with a married man was bad news. She’d seen plenty of it when she’d been a Bounty Hunter. Hell, she’d even unknowingly dated a few of them herself, but she’d always gotten out the moment the truth came to light. She felt for her roommate, she really did, but she needed to get over David already. It’d save her some heartache in the end.  
  
All that before eight in the morning and then her day got worse because of the damn storm that was threatening to blow through town.  
  
Road blocks that needed to be secured, sandbags that needed to be placed around town to prevent flooding, and warnings to be sent out in case the storm turned into a Hurricane. This was all done while driving around town, climbing in and out of the cruiser, and battling the damn weather.  
  
And now Regina was coming to call.  
  
Could this day get any worse?  
  
Emma caught her peeking through the cruiser’s windows and let out a sigh.  
  
“If you’re looking to blame me for the storm, I think you’re taking things a bit far now,” Emma quipped, looking up from the trunk of the cruiser where she was rearranging the emergency storm supplies. Hopefully this would be one Regina’s less painful visits. Emma had a dozen more things to do and less than a few hours to do them.  
  
Plus she was getting her period and she was not in the mood for Regina’s bullshit and cramps at the same time.  
  
“I need you to look into something, Sheriff.”  
  
Emma was surprised. Was Regina acknowledging that Emma was in fact Sheriff and that she could actually do her job? And she was asking Emma for a favor? This had to be good, so Emma chose forgo any snarky retorts and continued to load up the cruiser, while waiting for Regina to continue.  
  
“Someone’s in town. Someone new.”  
  
Emma had completely forgotten about her encounter with Storybrooke’s new resident. She’d been too damn busy to think about him, not that she had any reason to. The fact that Regina seemed find him interesting only confirmed that he didn’t matter.  
  
“Yeah, I know. I have him directions to Granny’s the other night.”  
  
“You talked to him? What did he say?”  
  
Oh man, this town. What was the big deal?  
  
“He asked for directions. What’s the big deal?” Emma had better things to do than discuss the new guy; unless he wasn’t new to town.  
  
“Who is he?”  
  
If Regina didn’t say ‘criminal’, she’d be very pissed that Regina had spent the last three minutes wasting her time.  
  
“I don’t know. I’ve asked around but no one seems to know anything. There’s something about him; something familiar.”  
  
Regina actually looked concerned. Or maybe it was confusion.  
  
Emma chuckled.  
  
“He must be one of the untold millions you’ve cursed.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Oh, you know. The curse. Henry’s whole thing.”  
  
“Sheriff, I need you to find out who he is. What he wants and what he’s doing here.”  
  
Regina needed her head examined.  
  
“You know, as hard as you tried to find one in my case, there is no law against visiting Storybrooke.”  
  
“This isn’t about the law, Miss Swan.” Miss Swan. Not Sheriff Swan. Miss. “You’re going to do this because I ask you too.” Yeah, like she ‘asked’ everyone else in town to do her bidding. Emma didn’t think so. “And because you’ll see it’s the right thing to do.”  
  
Emma brought down the trunk lid and shook her head.  
  
“And why is that?”  
  
“Because he was in front of my house, taking a particular interest in the one thing we both care about; Henry.”  
  
Damn it, she had here there.  
  
Emma would do anything to protect their kid.  
  
With a resigned sigh, Emma agreed to Regina’s favor, even if she was sure she’d regret it later.  
  
“I’ll look into him.”


	5. Typewriter Wrapped In an Enigma, Wrapped In Stubble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma interrogates the handsome, yet mysterious stranger in Granny’s, while August fights off the urge to divert from the mission.

August had intended to spend the day trying to figure out a way to break into the abandoned library to see if he could find information hidden by the Evil Queen or Rumpelstiltskin, like the location of a certain dagger, for example, but the storm was proving to be more serious than he’d anticipated.  
  
Instead he sat in Granny’s with a cup of coffee, hoping that his dear Sheriff didn’t get caught up in the storm while attempting something heroic. He’d already heard the tale of how she’d defied Regina by winning the election, saved Henry from a crumbling mine shaft, and held the former Sheriff in her arms while he died. He really didn’t want her to get hurt out in this weather because she was trying to save a kitten from a tree or something.  
  
He took a sip from his coffee and grinned when he saw her familiar blond hair approaching the diner from her police cruiser.  
  
His plan was working like a charm.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Emma felt ridiculous. Instead of being at home, curled up by the fire with some cocoa or back at the station working on files in safety, she was driving back across town to Granny’s to do what? Interrogate an innocent stranger because he happened to be new to town? Sure, there was Henry to consider, but Regina was most likely exaggerating. Besides, even if there was a reason to suspect the man of something, it wasn’t as if he was going anywhere in this weather.  
  
She entered Granny’s, shivering. Once she did a final sweep of the town she was heading home to shower. She could easily be on-call from the apartment instead of the station.  
  
And of course the lights were out…which meant they’d be out all across town, which meant more work.

Emma shook herself off with a small sigh, deciding to just get a coffee and then run. The mysterious stranger was probably holed up in his room and there was no way she was going to bang down the man’s door, especially not with a storm and a potential power outage all across town. But as she stood there in the entrance she could almost sense his presence. It was odd, with the exception of Henry and Margaret, Emma had never experienced the sensation of just knowing when someone was near.  
  
She glanced over to find the handsome stranger sitting alone in a booth near the window. Well, damn; time to get this over with, then. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with this as the Sheriff, but as Henry’s other mom? She’d do anything for the kid.  
  
Slipping off her beanie, she approached the man and shook off the intimate feeling that the storm and the dark, empty diner inspired.  
  
“We need to talk.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because, you’re suspicious.”  
  
They both knew that she sounded ridiculous. She couldn’t hide how silly she felt with her tone and he looked thoroughly amused by the situation.  
  
“Sitting here, out in the open, drinking coffee?”  
  
Emma noticed the way his eyes lit up and she had to look away for a moment to avoid getting too distracted by his charm and good looks, which wasn’t easy with the candlelight making him seem even sexier. That was when she noticed the box he was carrying around with him.  
  
“I wonder what kind of Hell I would have raised had I ordered a donut.”  
  
She wasn’t falling for his devil may care attitude and baby blue eyes. Maybe Regina was right. Emma recalled finding him a bit dangerous the other night. Perhaps her instincts had been right.  
  
“You were talking to Henry.”  
  
“You mean the little kid who came up to me asking me questions? Is that unusual for him, being curious and precocious?”  
  
Emma knew he had a point there and she shifted uncomfortably, but she’d see this through; for her kid. Everything in her life these days was for the kid. She didn’t realize it, but she was slowly becoming a mom.  
  
“What were you doing outside his house?”  
  
“My bike broke down, it happens.”  
  
Emma mentally rolled her eyes. Okay, this was officially beyond ridiculous, but she had to admit, she was drawn to the stranger and his box of mystery.  
  
And the stubble.  
  
Good God the stubble was sexy.  
  
 _Focus, Emma_ , she chided.  
  
“Your mysterious box, what’s in it?”  
  
Body parts? Women’s underwear? It could be anything, really. As Sheriff, she needed to be sure he wasn’t a serial killer or something.  
  
But in truth she was just trying to find reasons to talk to him.  
  
 _Stupid, stupid Emma._  
  
What were they, teenagers? Trying to find silly reasons to flirt and be in the same room together?  
  
“It’s awfully frustrating, not knowing, isn’t it?”  
  
He was giving her the bedroom eyes again.  
  
Damn him.  
  
“Just tell me.”  
  
“Why, is it illegal to carry around a box in these parts?”  
  
Okay, so she was frustrated. He was frustrating. She didn’t know why she cared, but she did, and he was being a jackass by not just telling her what was in the damn box so she could get on with her day.  
  
And did he have to be so fucking handsome?  
  
It was actually pissing her off.  
  
Because while she didn’t like noticing how hot he was, she wasn’t blind. Aside from the eyes and the stubble that already had her behaving like a school girl with a crush, there was a bit of exposed skin showing off his chest and just a bit of hair that reminded her that it have been such a very, very long time since she’d been with a man.  
  
But instead of thinking about being irresponsible and fucking a total stranger her thoughts immediately went to Graham; guilty thoughts. Her heart was screaming at her, telling her that she was betraying Graham and her feelings for him by flirting with the first man who rode into town.  
  
Emma let out a sigh.  
  
“No, of course it’s not.”  
  
It wasn’t and she was sick of this game and sick of her heart, brain, and libido all arguing with one another. She was getting a headache.  
  
And thinking about Graham made her heart hurt. He’d been gone for over a month and she still wasn’t fully over it. She was good at pretending that she was when Mary Margaret asked, but sometimes, when she was alone at night, she still cried over him.  
  
“You really want to know what’s inside it, don’t you.”  
  
There it was. He as undressing her with his eyes again and she liked it. She really liked it.  
  
She pushed away thoughts of Graham and betraying him, because there was no harm in flirting with a hot guy. She wasn’t going to sleep with him, after all.  
  
Well, she wasn’t going to sleep with tonight at any rate.  
  
 _You’re going straight to Hell, Emma Swan._  
  
Emma took a seat across from her enigmatic new friend, studying him. After a moment she found that the reason he got under her skin wasn’t because she found him physically attractive, but because he felt familiar to her; comfortable, even.  
  
This was risky territory. Things never ended well with men like him.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

August wasn’t entirely sure why he didn’t just tell her what was in the box, but he didn’t. The more he kept her talking, the more she relaxed, until finally she was sitting across from him like they were old friends. There was something about Emma, maybe because they had a history, or maybe it was just her, but he felt like he could be himself around her.  
  
And…  
  
It was stupid, but she felt like home to him. It was the only way he could describe it.  
  
An idiotic thing to think about a woman he barely even knew. Their few weeks together in this world as children didn’t exactly make them family or even friends, after all. But they could become friends.  
  
August watched her and couldn’t think about anything but how beautiful she was. She was even more beautiful than he remembered her being during their first meeting. Maybe the candlelight had something to do with it.  
  
It occurred to him that he’d met her in the dead of night and here they were, during their second meeting, once again in the dark. Maybe he’d see her in daylight one of these days.  
  
August decided that he didn’t want to give into right away. He wanted to take his time getting to know her, so he decided not to give in and show her what was in the box, not without a price. So he spun a little speech for her.  
  
“I’m going to make you wait. You’re going to have to wait a long time and watch me carry it around, hauling it to strange and mysterious places. And with each passing moment the mystery will become more tantalizing, your imagination will inflame, but so will your frustration. Never knowing, only guessing what could possibly be inside that box.”  
  
He wanted to kiss her.  
  
While he’d been speaking, she’d leaned in, and he wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss those big, pouty lips of her.  
  
He wasn’t here to seduce the Princess. He had to keep reminding himself that she was off limits. Eventually he would give and try, because no man had that much willpower, but he’d try to keep his hands off.  
  
However, he was probably already on his way to Hell, was one more sin really going to make a difference?  
  
August leaned in.  
  
“Or you could let me buy you a drink sometime and I’ll tell you right now.”  
  
His eyes went to her lips. Oh yeah, he definitely wanted to kiss her. But like he’d said in his speech, he’d make her wait. Make himself wait was more like it. He had to remind himself that the mission came first, kissing her could come later. The flirting until they reached that point would just build things up to make the kissing even better.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

“You want to buy me a drink?”  
  
He had a way with words. He’d sucked her in with his little speech and he knew it. It wasn’t until he was leaning into her, however, looking like he might kiss her that she realized she was halfway across the table leaning into him.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Emma caught the way his lips moved and the look in his eyes and she felt heat rush through her body. He wanted to do more than buy her a drink and the thought was titillating, even if she did know better than to let him do such things.  
  
Still…she was curious.  
  
“Okay, a drink it is.”  
  
One drink. More than that and she was sure they’d end up in his room doing more than drinking. And there would be no having sex with sexy men in leather. Not tonight.  
  
She watched him with interest as he reached down for the box, laying it carefully on the table before popping it open.  
  
Emma watched him for a moment as he hesitated, praying that he wasn’t some crazy guy here to kill them all, carrying around bloody knives in his box of crazy. It would be a waste of a perfectly good face.  
  
Luckily for her, it was just a typewriter.  
  
“Really?”  
  
She actually found herself smiling. It was no wonder he’d been able to entice her with his words; he was a wordsmith. She stored the information away for a later date, in case he ever tried to seduce her with words.  
  
“I’m a writer.”  
  
And he looked a bit proud of himself too. No one who was that good looking could avoid being cocky. Unless they were Graham and last she checked, he’d been a limited edition model of man.  
  
“That’s why you’re here?”  
  
“I find this place inspirational, don’t you?”  
  
There was something adorable in the way he answered her question. Not as adorable as Graham had been, but close. Okay, so maybe she could accept he wasn’t a deranged psychopath. Having that drink didn’t seem _too_ big of a price to pay.  
  
As he stood to leave it occurred to her that maybe Regina had been right when she’d said he seemed familiar.  
  
“Wait, have you been here before?”  
  
“I didn’t say that.”  
  
Was he leaving? Why was he leaving? He had sucked her into his stubble filled cloud of intrigue and now he was leaving?  
  
“What about that drink?”  
  
“I said _sometime_.”  
  
He was going to kill her if he kept looking at her like that. She knew that look. It was like he was starving and she was a filet mignon, but he was holding off on taking that first bite so he could savor what was about to come.  
  
Emma let him go, deciding that it was probably best if he did leave.  
  
She needed to clear her head and get back to work.  
  
Of course, now her night would not only be spent battling the storm, but battling thoughts of the sexy stranger whose name she still didn’t know.  
  
 _Damn it._


	6. Not a Good Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August attempts to fight off thoughts of Emma, but he doesn’t do a very good job of it.

August couldn’t leave the diner quickly enough. One more moment sitting there with her and he would have been across that table, kissing Emma Swan until her knees gave out. And he wouldn’t have stopped with kissing. He’d have brought her back to his room and then proceeded to fuck her on every available surface in the room until his body gave out.

But doing that would be a bad idea. He’d ruin any chance he had of bonding with her and of helping her break the curse. She needed to trust him before he could tell her the truth about how they got to this world and that she was the Savior. It would be impossible to do that by letting his penis do his thinking for him.

Breaking the curse was the only thing that matter. Breaking the curse and keeping Emma safe. His own selfish desires would have to wait.

Slamming the door to his room, August rested his forehead against the cold wood, while pressing his hands against the wall, attempting to calm his thoughts.

August pushed away from the wall and let out a sigh, remembering his leg. It was only his own selfishness that had gotten him here. If he’d stayed or tried harder, they wouldn’t be strangers. And the fact that it had taken his leg turning back to wood to get him to come back only made him more selfish. He needed to endure some punishment. He couldn’t let himself get too close to her because he didn’t deserve her. He didn’t deserve to kiss her. He didn’t deserve to do go any further than that. She was worth ten of him and even if he could get away with it, even if it wouldn’t ruin things, he didn’t deserve it. She deserved better. He couldn’t let himself get that close to kissing her again.

“You’re an idiot, Booth,” he muttered, kicking off his shoes and throwing his jacket over a chair. He ripped off each layer of his clothing, tossing them all into a messy pile, as he made his way towards his bed. As each piece came off, he fought off mental images of Emma taking them off for him and of her lips on his.

He’d love nothing more than to know how those lips felt wrapped around his-

August scolded himself and pushed back his covers.

“You will not think about her like that. You can’t.”

August slipped into bed and forced his brain to think about anything that didn’t involve Emma Swan or her beautiful hair or those luscious lips of hers. But no matter what he thought about, his thoughts always ended with him imagining what she was hiding underneath her uniform or how she would taste.

He couldn’t sleep, for hours. He tossed and turned and kicked off the covers and put them back on. He tried pacing his room to clear his mind. Nothing worked.

He eventually fell asleep when he could no longer keep fighting off thoughts of fucking Emma Swan against his bedroom wall. The images lulled him into sleep and his dreams picked up right where his thoughts left off. And they were incredibly filthy dreams.

When he woke in the morning, with his mind swimming in thoughts of Emma, he shoved himself out of bed, unable to take it anymore. Cursing along the way, August flipped on the light in the bathroom, trying to shake himself awake. Looking in the mirror, he groaned. He looked like shit. Dark eyes. Messy Hair. Sweaty. Face Flushed.

To top it off, as if he were some horny teenager, he had morning wood. The irony of the term was not lost on him.

August looked away from the mirror, sick of his reflection.

He turned the shower on; making sure the water was cold.

Yup, just like a fucking teenager.

Stepping into the shower, August hung his head, letting the cold water run down his back until it became too cold to handle. He shook out his hair and turned the temperature up for a real shower. As he lathered up, he repeated to himself that he was a grown man with self-control and he could go the day without thinking perverted fantasies starring Emma.

But who was he kidding?

He wasn’t going to banish thoughts of her with a hard-on.

Hell, trying to ignore it would only make things worse.

August groaned and rested one hand against the wall. Closing his eyes, August lathered up more soap and ran his free hand over his cock. He imagined Emma there in the shower with him, on her knees, sucking him off as he stroked himself, slowly. He wasn’t one to do this unless he needed to, but when he did, he made sure it counted.

As he pictured that beautiful mouth of hers, with those big, pouty lips, taking all of him in, and that long, blond hair tangled in his fingers, he groaned. He tried pumping away faster, but the fantasy wasn’t doing it for him. He knew he wanted the real thing, but this would have to do.

He pressed his forehead against the shower wall and took a deep breath.

He tried to imagine her ass, tits, everything, but his thoughts kept going back to that mouth of hers.

And it was stupid and unmanly, but the thing that finally got him over the edge, finally got him off, was picturing himself pressing Emma Swan against a wall and kissing her. That was it.

“Emma-fuck,” he groaned, letting the water wash away the traces of his transgression.


	7. Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August takes a walk to attempt to clear his head and discovers Henry’s book.

His morning wank should have fixed his little Emma problem, at least temporarily, especially since he had no plans to see her today, but as his luck would have it, it only made things worse. After getting out of the shower he went for it three more times before he could go longer than five minutes without thinking about her.

So, he’d given up. It was either spend the entire day holed up in his room jerking off or deal with the thoughts and get things done. So he stopped fighting the thoughts and just pushed them to the back of his mind while he worked on the mission.

Riding was out of the question. He needed to clear his mind, so, he walked. This was a small town and it allowed him an opportunity to become more acquainted with the places and faces. So far he’d managed to avoid seeing his father and had yet to see either of Emma’s parents, but he’d come across just about everyone else he could remember from his old life. The others were just people he’d never met before.

August tried to find a way to break into the library, but from what he could scope out, it would most likely be a waste of time. All he could see were old cataloguing drawers, paperwork, and a glimpse into the main library which looked to be empty. It looked incredibly staged. He suspected Regina was hiding something in the clock tower above, but in order to know for sure he’d have to actually break into the library, which wasn’t something he could do in bright daylight; a task for another day then.

Following the scent of the salt water, August headed towards the beach. Ever since his death by drowning he hadn’t actually gotten back into the water, but he enjoyed being near it. The scent, the cold air, the beautiful water and the waves; it was calming. For the first time since his encounter with Emma the night before he felt clear headed. Perhaps he could get some writing done. He found the more he worked on his own story the more he remembered about their world and about the curse. He just wished he could remember more about Rumpelstiltskin’s story so he could locate the damn dagger. Not to mention figure out who in the Hell he was supposed to be in this town. He’d never met him in their world, luckily, but now it gave him a disadvantage.

Deciding to go back to his room at the Inn to make a list of the people in town he had identified, he spotted Emma and her kid on the playground that looked a Hell of a lot like Prince James’ castle back in their world.

Good God, Regina hadn’t bothered with subtlety when she created this curse, had she?

August crossed the street and leaned against one of the buildings, just out of sight, but where he was still able to keep an eye on the two of them.

Emma was happy when she was with the kid. He recognized the wall she had built around her heart because he’d done the same thing to his. Most foster kids did that, especially foster kids who got bounced around a lot because no one wanted to keep them longer than a few weeks. He suspected she’d been in the same boat that he had been in.

The two of them didn’t belong in this world and sometimes he swore the world could sense it and was doing its best to reject him. She probably had to deal with the same king of crap.

She never looked at peace or settled in, but when she was with that kid?

She lit up like the sun. It was impossible to miss it.

August found himself smiling as he watched the two of them together. Whether she realized it or not, they were a family; a family being kept apart by Regina’s bullshit just like all of the others in town.

He wouldn’t have trouble focusing on the mission from now on. Anytime he got distracted he’d be sure to remember this moment. Helping Emma break the curse wouldn’t just help the town; it’d help her and her kid be reunited. And he wanted give her back her chance at having a real family. It was the least he could do for her.

August pushed away from the wall that he was leaning against, deciding to give them some time alone.

It wasn’t until hours later, while having dinner in the diner and working on his list of names that it occurred to him that the book Emma and Henry were poring over was most likely the same book Granny had mentioned. The one the kid was always going on about being about the town. It was the reason the kid had brought Emma here, the reason why he believed in the curse and the truth about everyone here.

“Damnit,” he muttered. He should have seen this earlier, but he was too damn blinded by the Savior herself to focus on protecting her like he was supposed to be doing. He needed to get that book.

It was crazy to think that the book would still be there, yet, if August were a kid living with the Evil Queen, he wouldn’t keep the book in the house with her. And keeping it anywhere with Emma was too obvious. What if the kid hid the book at the playground?

Crazy, maybe, but August came from the Enchanted Forest where the impossible happened every day. Tossing money down to cover the bill, August grabbed his jacket and headed off, taking his bike this time. He didn’t want to waste any time.

He searched every inch of the damn playground for a hiding spot, but came up with nothing. Letting out a sigh, he decided this had been a bad idea and kicked the ground in frustration. He let out a yelp our pain when his foot hit something solid.

Kneeling was difficult because of his leg, but with some effort he managed to lower himself to ground and brush away some of the leaves. Spotting a red box, August dug and after a moment pulled it out of the ground. It was about the right size to fit the book. Too bad the damn thing was locked.

He hesitated for a moment. The kid would miss the book but he needed to know what was in this book. Not only would it give him more information on the curse, it could help him identify some of the town’s inhabitants. Not to mention, he could use the refresher on their world.

He decided that if he didn’t keep the book very long and put it back, there was a possibility the kid wouldn’t even miss it. The hardware store would have bolt cutters and if he got them in the morning, he could have the book read and put back but the evening.

He debated re-burying the book and coming back for it, but something told him not to. He had the sinking feeling that if he left it here it wouldn’t be here when he got back.

Deciding not to falter any longer, August took the box with him.


	8. Stuff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August decides to ‘repair’ Henry’s book.

The next morning August headed off for the Hardware store first thing in the morning. However, on his way through the diner he spotted Emma’s kid and couldn’t resist taking a moment to stop and chat with the boy when he realized that he was furiously drawing at the diner’s counter. He couldn’t help his curiosity and it occurred to August that the kid spent way too much time in the diner. Nearly every morning his arrival here he’d spotted the kid. Didn’t Regina bother to feed the kid?

August couldn’t wait to help Emma get him back somehow. He knew bad parenting when he saw it and there were a lot of red flags for him when it came to Regina and Henry.

Besides, the kid probably could use a friend. August was up for the job.

“What you working on?”

Henry was frantic in his task; it was kind of cute. He didn’t know why he liked this kid so much, he had never been one to like kids, even when he’d be one. Henry reminded August of himself. He needed someone to bond with him and he definitely needed a father figure. August was in no way father material, but the bonding and friendship thing he could handle.

And he also wanted to make sure the kid was okay, for Emma’s sake.

Even though he’d abandoned her, they were still connected and he felt obligated to keep an eye on her son.

“No time to talk, I’ve got write it all down before I forget.”

So, he had noticed the book was gone. Guilt stabbed at his chest, but August reminded himself that the kid would get his book back and soon.

“Yeah, I hate it when great ideas slip away from me.”

“They’re not my ideas. They’re stories from a book that I lost.”

“Must be a Hell of a book. What’s it about?”

“Stuff.”

August had to fight a smile.

“Sounds exciting.”

“You seem awfully interested in me and my book.”

Being the cheeky little bastard that he was, August feigned offense.

“No, I’m just being neighborly.”

August wanted to give the kid some hope that the book wasn’t gone, but that would be revealing too much too soon.

The kid stopped what he was doing to eye August suspiciously

“What are you doing in Storybrooke?”

“I’m a writer.”

“You can write anywhere, what are you really doing here?”

This kid was definitely Emma’s.

Deciding to tease the kid a bit, August leaned in and spoke in a whisper.

“Stuff. Good luck with the stories.”

He shook his head on the way out of the diner, smirking. He could see why Emma had stuck around. The kid wasn’t even his and he liked him, he couldn’t imagine Emma having much luck resisting him even if she tried.

After a quick trip to the hardware store and managing to avoid Ruby on his way back into the Inn, he quickly snuck back into his room to open the box that he was now sure contained the kid’s book.

He broke the lock and carefully opened the box to find that yes, this was the book. Lifting it out carefully, he pushed the box out of the way to set the book down. Opening it with care, he noticed it had some water damage. Not much, but enough that he figured repairing it would be a nice thing to do for the kid. He’d need chemicals and to find an abandoned part of town to use as a workroom, but that wouldn’t be hard.

As for the chemicals, he needed a trip out of town for more clothes anyway. He hadn’t brought much with him and seeing as he was staying; it wouldn’t hurt to have a few more things.

August flipped through the book and looked up in confusion when he got the end. He thumbed the last few pages, which had been ripped out. He read through what was left and realized there was nothing about Emma in this book. How had the kid known to find her unless she was in the book?

After a moment, he chuckled.

The kid had probably taken them out so the Queen wouldn’t see them.

No, Mayor.

Snow White was the rightful Queen; he needed to stop thinking of Regina like she was still their Monarch. She wasn’t, not anymore. And when Emma defeated her and he was determined that she would, it would be Snow White on the throne, not Regina.

Still amused by the kid’s genius, August paged through the book once more when a pain went through his foot. He cursed, loudly, and examined his leg. No new damage, just the same missing bit of skin; good. He didn’t know what he would do if more of his body got taken over by wood. He needed as much time as he could get.

He sighed and thought about Henry again.

He wasn’t the kid’s father, but it occurred to him that he didn’t want the kid to make the same mistakes he had in his life. The one thing the book was missing was the story of the little wooden puppet that needed to learn to be brave, truthful, and unselfish. Not that the man who that boy became was any of those things, but the moral of the story was meant to inspire children and with a mom like Regina around, the kid could use all of the inspiration that he could get.

He was going to need a whole Hell of a lot more supplies to add the story in, but he needed to do this, for the kid and for himself.

And for Emma.

If something happened and he didn’t make it through to see her defeat this thing, he wanted her to know the truth about their history together and about his beginnings.

He’d only been back here for a few days but already he wanted to be better, for her. And he was determined to do his best to try.

So August settled in with the book, studying every single page of it until his eyes hurt, determined to find something that would help her break the curse.


	9. Bad Decisions Make Good Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma is depressed over being forbidden to see Henry, so she gets a little too drunk at the bar. Lucky for her Ruby and August are there to make sure she doesn’t make too much of an ass out herself.

Emma finished her second beer, still sitting with Sidney at the bar. She checked her watch, knowing she should head home. She was off duty, but the Sheriff being drunk in public would look bad. And Emma wanted to be drunk; badly. While the appliances in the apartment would suffer, she knew she needed to go home and console herself with a bottle of Jack, instead of signaling for Ruby to bring her a shot.

She also knew calling Mary Margaret would be a good idea because she would encourage her to be a responsible adult, but Emma liked not being responsible every once in a while. Besides, she could walk home and leave the cruiser here, so there really was no need to call her.

“Leaving so soon?”

Emma glanced over to Sidney as he paid up his tab.

“Afraid so, I’ll see you later, Sheriff.”

Emma raised her glass in salute to her new friend and watched him leave before turning her attention to Ruby who was giving her a sad sort of smile. Ruby glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening before leaning over to talk to Emma.

“I heard about what happened today. For what it’s worth, I think she’s a bitch. And this one’s on me,” she told Emma with a wink, pouring her another shot.

“Thanks, Ruby.”

Ruby held her hand out and Emma sighed.

“I know to walk home, Ruby.”

“So it won’t be an issue in the morning when I have your keys instead of you having to search for them because you lost them. Now hand them over.”

Emma rolled her eyes but complied, handing over her keys.

“Whatever, this is my last one anyway.”

It wasn’t.

As Emma nursed her fifth drink, she started to get angry. Angry that Regina had been having her followed, even going as far as to snap pictures of her kid. Not Regina’s kid, hers. At first she’d been willing to accept maybe Regina wasn’t the best mother because she’d had a shitty childhood or something, but had wanted to believe that she loved the kid. But the more time Emma spent here, the more she began to think maybe the kid wasn’t misguided when he told her that Regina didn’t really love him.

And that pissed Emma off.

So did the fact that in order to not make things worse she needed to go along with Regina’s new rule. Emma had seen her kid this morning but already her heart was aching for him because she didn’t know when she’d be able to see him again. Knowing Regina it would be never.

Emma sighed and finished her drink, thinking about how painful it had been to have to tell Henry that they couldn’t see one another. If it was this painful for her, she didn’t want to imagine how painful it was to him.

An even worse thought was that maybe it wouldn’t be painful for him.

“Ruby-“

“Here, take the bottle. Don’t worry, it’s a slow night, and I won’t let you make an ass of yourself.”

“Thanks.”

Emma grabbed the bottle and moved into one of the booths. She wanted to be alone with her wallowing, not on display for the entire diner to see. She poured herself another glass, noting that Ruby had been sure to give her a bottle that was near empty.

Good girl.

Emma took another drink and huffed, remembering the time she’d gotten a good shot in on Regina and chuckling. She’d love to punch her again, just once. It would be glorious.

She knew she was drunk when she began chuckling to herself for no reason. It was definitely time to head home but she’d already paid for the bottle, it would be a waste not to finish it. Emma whined when she realized there was only one drink left in the damn thing.

“Better have some at home,” she mumbled, not caring that she’d probably be hung over in the morning.

“Are you sure I can’t get you a seat at the bar?”

Emma glanced up, recognizing Ruby’s ‘flirty’ voice. Emma wasn’t into women, but if she were, Ruby would be at the top of the list. The poor men in this town didn’t stand a chance. Emma looked to see who Ruby’s newest victim was and her stomach dropped.

Well, well, well. It was her mysterious stranger.

She shook her head, figuring he’d be up in Ruby’s room five minutes after closing.

Emma downed her drink and kept watching them, confusion crossing her features when she realized the stranger was trying to get away from Ruby. It was like watching a cat trying to entice a mouse out of its hole. Ruby had the man nearly pinned against the bar and he was desperately looking for a way to escape without seeming rude.

She chortled into her cup, thoroughly amused.

Maybe she’d misjudged her mysterious friend. After all, men in this town didn’t resist Ruby. That or they were gay. Emma really hoped he wasn’t gay.

She caught his eye and he looked relieved.

“I was just meeting the Sheriff, got to, bye Ruby.”

He slipped past her and hustled to Emma’s booth, sighing in relief once he realized that Ruby hadn’t followed him to the table.

“You’re my savior. She’s been trying to eat me ever since I got here. It’s disturbing.”

Emma chuckled.

“Hungry like the wolf?” She teased, referencing the old Duran, Duran song.

He smirked.

“You have no idea.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August had no interest in any sort of entanglement with Ruby. It would be easy, sure. And it would get his mind away from Emma, but he honestly wasn’t interested. The mission was on his mind, along with Emma and the kid, so getting laid really wasn’t a priority. Unless the Savior decided to ravish him, then he would have to lie back and comply, for the mission’s sake, of course.

Plus there was the whole Ruby really being old enough to be his mother thing that really creeped him out; even if he had sort of had a teensy crush on her as a boy.

But he wasn’t a boy anymore, so he actively put off her advances, hoping that she’d eventually get the hint and stop trying.

August looked Emma over and chuckled. Man, she was wasted. Someone really needed to get her home safely. After a few minutes of flirting he’d get her home himself, just to make sure some asshole Prince didn’t take advantage of her. He had to protect her virtue or her father would kill him when this was all over.

That was bullshit and he knew it. He just didn’t want anyone else touching her.

“So, is it normal for the Sheriff to be drunk in public? I know this town has its own set of rules to follow. I want to make sure I’m current on all of them,” he teased.

She gave her that adorable ‘I’m annoyed but I’m not look’ and shook her head.

“I’m having a bad day.”

She was slurring her words a bit and teeter tottering in her seat.

August sighed. Watching her drunk was a tad bit adorable but he’d hate himself if he didn’t take her home right now.

“Ruby! Is the Sheriff’s tab paid?”

“Yes,” Emma and Ruby answered at the same time.

August chuckled and stood, holding his hand out for the Princess.

“Come on, why don’t you tell me all about your bad day? Do you remember how to get home?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma glared at the man.

“I can get home just fine, thanks, ass.”

She stood, determined to get home all on her own, but stumbled. He caught her before she could make an ass of herself in front of the few diner patrons and was thankful.

“Okay, maybe I could use a walk. Thanks.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August smiled and took her arm.

“Here, give these to Mary Margaret for her.”

August took the keys from Ruby and thanked her, giving her an odd look. She was smiling knowingly, like she was in on some joke.

“So, you and Emma?”

He rolled his eyes.

“Bye Ruby.”

“Yeah, bye Ruby. You’re my favoritest waitress ever!”

“Good God, you’re drunk, come on.”

August led her out into the cold night, letting her adjust to the temperature change. He waited two blocks before asking her if they were even going the right way.

“Yes, I live right over there,” she told him, pointing down the street at no particular building.

“Uh huh, I’ll take your word for it.”

When she stopped stumbling, he let go of her and let her walk on her own, keeping a close eye on her.

“So, you must have had one Hell of a day to need to get publicly wasted.”

Emma snorted.

“That bitch Regina forbid me from seeing my kid. MY KID! No one told her she could have him! If they’d told me she was such a raging bitch I would have never given him up. He was mine and…he was supposed to go to good people! They told me he was going to a family, not some horrible hag without a husband. A family! They lied to me. Doesn’t that mean I can go and demand him back or something?”

August looked at her sadly.

“I don’t think it works that way. Why-never mind, it’s none of my business.”

“No, go ahead. Everyone asks. And judges me. Unlike my parents I didn’t just dump him off somewhere, you know? They found me on the side of a highway, how fucked up is that? My parents didn’t even have the decency to drop me off in a hospital. I just wanted to give the kid a fighting chance. You know? I wasn’t ready to be a mom. Not that I knew anything about being one. And I thought he’d be happy. But…he’s not happy. The kid is ten and he’s in therapy and he thinks this entire town is filled with fairytale characters.

It’s crazy!

And it’s her fault and I just wanted to keep him safe and now I can’t.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma wasn’t usually this chatty, but she was wasted and she needed to get it all out or it was going to consume her and interfere with her job. She wasn’t going to have a chance at seeing Henry again if she went off and gave Regina a black eye in front of the entire town out of rage.

Besides, who was the new guy going to tell anyway?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August put an arm around her. He wanted to comfort her but they weren’t exactly friendly enough for a hug, so pretending he was helping her walk upright would have to do.

“You will. You’re not the only one who sees the kid isn’t happy, other people see it. And she can’t keep the two of you away from each other forever. It’s a small town; she’s crazy to think you won’t run into him eventually. Just wait it out.”

August wanted to tell her that the curse was real, just get it over with, but she wasn’t going to remember this conversation tomorrow, let alone believe any of it.

He made a mental note to keep her informed with reports on the kid. He was already keeping an eye on his, it wouldn’t hurt to ease her mind while he was at it.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Thanks,” Emma mumbled, stopping in front of her building.

“This is me.”

Her new friend eyed the building warily.

“I assume there are stairs leading up to your apartment?”

“Yeah, so-oh. Um, yeah.” Emma pulled away from him and stumbled a bit. “I can get up just fine.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August shook his head and grabbed her by the hand.

“Come on, I’ll walk you to the door, okay?”

“Okay, fine.”

August led her inside after trying all of her keys because she couldn’t remember the key to her own building. She directed him to her floor and he carefully helped her up the stairs. He was glad he’d accompanied her. Her stairwell was dark and creepy. Maybe Regina had designed it for people to easily break their necks on it.

“Is this it?” He asked when she stopped near one of the doors.

“Uh huh, yup.”

Emma pulled away from him and leaned against the wall, giggling.

“Mary Margaret’s going to be pissed off.”

August leaned against the opposite wall with a smirk, watching her. He’d let her sober up a bit before alerting her roommate that they were home.

“Is she now?”

Emma stopped giggling and looked at him for a long moment, contemplating something.

August raised an eyebrow, wondering what crazy thoughts were running through her drunken mind right now. What he liked about being sober was watching everyone else being drunk. It was far more amusing to be on this side of the glass.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma stared at her handsome friend whose name she was too drunk to ask for, thinking it would be very nice to pull him into the apartment with her and have lots of dirty sex with him. It wouldn’t fix her Henry issue but it would make her feel better about things. Plus, she’d be the one having sex with the hot guy while Regina was at home alone.

“You know, that stubble look is really working for you,” Emma told him, pushing away from the wall and walking toward him. “It’s really, really sexy.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August cleared his throat, looking away from her, which didn’t help because she now had him pinned against the wall. She couldn’t do this. Kiss him. He wouldn’t be able to not kiss her back and even though he knew he could never have sex with someone as drunk as she was now, he had no qualms about spending the evening in her bed just kissing her.

And that would be very, very bad.

“You’re not too bad yourself, Sheriff. But you’re also incredibly drunk right now. Best not to do anything you’ll regret in the morning.”

“Who says I’ll regret it,” she teased, leaning in to kiss him.

“Emma! Is that you?”

August sighed in relief when Emma pulled away to look up the stairwell to the next floor where her roommate was poking her head down from. August stayed flush against the wall in shock when he realized who she was.

Snow-August looked between the two women and shook his head. How in the Hell was he supposed to make Emma believe in this curse if his plan to find the Dark One’s Dagger didn’t work when he hardly believed it himself most days?

Emma was living with her mother of all people.

This was insane.

Emma abandoned him to climb the stairs, slowly, meeting her mother at the top. August tossed the keys up to her, staying in the shadow. He knew there was no way she’d recognize him even if she knew the truth about the town, but he wanted to be cautious. “Ruby sent those for you. I think she could probably use a strong cup of coffee.”

August watched Emma pulled her mother towards the door, waving in her direction.

Her mother was trying to be polite and speak to him, but Emma was weighing her down.

“Thank you for bringing her home, Mr.-“

“SHH! It’s a secret! And you’re so pretty, mommy,” Emma chuckled, patting her mother’s face. “Because Henry says you’re my mom! Because Regina’s fucked up my kid and he’s crazy! And I’m going to have sex with the handsome boy, so just lead me to my room now and make sure he comes with you.”

Snow gave him an ‘I’m sorry’ look and lead Emma into the house.

“Thank you again, and I’m sorry you had to deal with-Emma don’t puke on the-ugh. Nice meeting you or not really,” she groaned, shutting the door behind her.

August sighed and leaned against the wall for a long moment, thankful for small miracles.


	10. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary Margaret comforts a drunken Emma and takes cares of her in the morning when she’s hung-over and sick. For the first time in her life, Emma realizes she has a family.

When Emma comes to, she’s on the bathroom floor with a throbbing head, wearing Mary Margaret’s bathrobe.  
  
“I see someone’s awake.”  
  
Using force to push herself up off the floor, Emma leaned against the wall with a groan, her stomach still feeling sick. She could almost hear the alcohol still swimming around inside of her body.  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“A very mysterious man dropped you off last night and after you told me all about how you were going to seduce him, you threw up on the rug. I thought it best to bring you in here and let you sleep it off. After you finished puking we even had a nice little chat.”  
  
Mary Margaret sipped her hot chocolate, the smell making Emma’s stomach churn.  
  
“What kind of chat?”  
  
“About Henry. And Regina. And how much we both hate Regina.”  
  
The look on Mary Margaret’s face is one of pity and Emma can’t handle it so she forced herself to get up off the floor.  
  
“Sorry, about the rug.”  
  
Mary Margaret gave a shrug.  
  
“It’s all cleaned up. And your clothes are in the wash. And you’re welcome.”  
  
Emma gave her a smile.  
  
“Thanks, Marry Margaret.”  
  
“Go on, take a shower, I’ll make breakfast. You can even throw up some more if you want,” she teased, leaving Emma in the bathroom alone.  
  
Emma sighed and did in fact, throw up again. Three times, actually. Once she was sure she was done, she stripped off the bathrobe and took a long, hot shower. By the time she was dressed, she felt almost human again, except for the pounding headache. That thing wasn’t going away anytime today.  
  
She took a seat across from Mary Margaret and gave her a guilty look.  
  
“So, what other embarrassing things did I do last night?”  
  
Mary Margaret smirked into her mug, sliding Emma’s over. “Other than trying to molest the hot man in leather out in the hallway? Nothing. Ruby called me to tell me that you were on your way home and she swears you got out before you did anything gossip worthy. Though, I’m sure there might be a few rumors started by any of our neighbors who witnessed your seduction attempt.  
  
Who was he? I didn’t get a good enough look at him. Please tell me it wasn’t Dr. Whale.”  
  
Emma took a sip of her chocolate and winced, reaching for some toast. She chewed on it for a moment before swallowing and shrugged. When she felt her stomach settle a bit she finally spoke.  
  
“No offense, Mary Margaret, but I’m not stupid enough to go for Whale. Plus, I’m not into sharing guys with my friends. He was nobody, I doubt I’ll be seeing him again after last night,” she said with a groan, burying her face in her hands. “I am so embarrassed.”  
  
“It wasn’t that bad, in fact, I think it’s kind of sweet that he didn’t take advantage of you. Tell me about him.”  
  
Emma uncovered her face with a small sigh, thinking about her handsome stranger.  
  
“He’s mysterious and full of sexy stubble and good God, can that man fill out a pair of jeans.”  
  
Mary Margaret smirks.  
  
“Well, he sounds lovely. Maybe you should seduce him. You work too hard not to have some fun every once in a while.”  
  
“I don’t have time for hot men in leather. I have Henry to think about.”  
  
Mary Margaret reached out to take Emma’s hand and Emma gave her a grateful smile.  
  
“I’ll keep an eye on him.”  
  
“You don’t have to.”  
  
“I want to. Don’t worry, Regina will let up. Just give it time. I promise.”  
  
Emma really hoped that was true.  
  
“Hey, shouldn’t you be at school by now?”  
  
“It’s Saturday and if they need anything they’ll call you from the station. I told them you were working from home today.”  
  
Emma smiled.  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
“Come on, I have bad movies for us to watch while you sober up.”  
  
Emma stood and followed Mary Margaret to the couch.  
  
“I see what’s going here. You’re really just trying to keep me hostage so you don’t have to watch chick flicks alone.”  
  
“Pretty much.”  
  
While they watched some horrible romantic comedy where the man is a moron but does some stupid romantic thing in the end and gets the girl, Emma studied her roommate. Last night was starting to come back to her and she remembered Mary Margaret holding her hair back, rubbing her back, and soothing her while she cried and puked and ranted about Regina.  
  
It was nice, having someone who was willing to take care of you like that.  
  
They weren’t just friends or roommates; they were each other’s family.  
  
“What,” Mary Margaret asked, catching Emma staring.  
  
“Nothing, just, thanks, for last night. I’m sure that’s not how you wanted to spend your Friday evening.”  
  
“It’s okay; you’d do the same for me, right?”  
  
“Right.”


	11. Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma apologizes to August for throwing herself at him.

Emma was happier than she’d been in days. She’d managed to avoid girly bonding time, Margaret was spying on Henry for her, she’d managed to avoid anything having to do with Valentine’s Day, and she’d even gotten to spend time with him today! If Gold hadn’t managed to buy his way out of jail, this would be the perfect day.  
  
“Hello stranger.”  
  
Emma let out a sigh.  
  
Why had she jinxed herself?  
  
She turned to find the mysterious man whose name she still didn’t know leaning against the gate to Granny’s diner.  
  
“Hello.”  
  
“I’d remind you that you still owe me a drink but I think you’ve had enough of those this week.”  
  
She closed her eyes and shook her head, grimacing.  
  
“Yeah, about that-I’m sorry. I was really drunk and that doesn’t happen very often so when it does the crazy comes out.”  
  
“It’s okay. I get it.”  
  
Emma opened her mouth to ask him his name but decided against it. She didn’t want to ruin what was left of this good day by getting even more involved with him.  
  
“So…I’m going to go. But I will see you around. And um, thanks, for not letting me take advantage of you or whatever.”  
  
She turned and headed back to the cruiser, making sure not to look back.  
  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August was a little hurt that she didn’t bother to stick around and flirt some more, but not too badly. He was more amused that she still seemed embarrassed.

She was cute; he had to give her that. Still sexy as Hell, but after the other night, he could appreciate the little things about her that had nothing to do with those lips or her ass.

Like the way her cheeks went pink when she was embarrassed. Or the way she furrowed her forehead when she was concentrating on something. The charming way in which she laughed.

He’d been in this town for a total of three weeks and he was already completely taken by the Princess. This was a mess and he knew it, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

He was going to enjoy the ride while he could.


	12. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma dreams about the mysterious stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the chapter from Hell. I couldn’t stop editing the damn thing, which put the entire story on hold because I couldn’t post anything until I finished this and I just couldn’t find a way to be happy with the wording of the dream. However, I’m as satisfied as I’ll ever be with it, so expect to see more frequent updates to the story.

_He smelled of leather and ink and tasted like her favorite whiskey. Riding had left his fingers calloused, yet his touch still managed to remain gentle as he caressed her skin. Tender lips pressed lightly against her as the stubble on his face tickled her flesh as he kissed his way over her body.  
  
She slid her fingers through his hair and gave the locks a sharp tug, causing him to glance up at her with a mischievous air about him, taking her breath away. His blue eyes were beautiful; full of pain and desire. She could see into his soul and it broke her heart.  
  
Unable to bear the sight of him any longer, she pulled him for a kiss. She could feel the smirk on his lips, as if he could sense her thoughts and feelings. Pouring her frustrations with his ability to see right through her into the kiss, she grazed her nails along the back of neck before sliding her hands down over his chest, trailing her fingers through his chest hair.  
  
She didn’t usually care one way or another for body hair, but he wore his well.  
  
After she finished admiring his chest, she moved her hands over his back, eventually landing on that fine ass of his. She cupped it and gave it a hard squeeze before pushing her hips up against his bulging erection. She needed him inside of her and if he didn’t do it soon, she’d scream.  
  
His hot mouth trailed over her body, neck first, and then breasts, finally her belly. She let out small sighs of longing, wishing he’d stop teasing her already. But she was having far too much of a good time to ruin it by pushing against him, rolling him onto his back, and sliding onto him. This was torture but it was the kind of torture she was more than willing to endure.  
  
When his mouth finally found her throbbing, wet center she slid her fingers back through his hair and let out a small cry. He wasted no time in running his tongue over her sensitive flesh, slowly and expertly tasting her.  
  
Moments later, she came with his tongue still inside of her, rocking her hips against him, quietly calling out ‘please’. She needed to feel him full and inside of her.  
  
Moving over her, he kissed her temple before pinning her wrists to the bed as he took her lips in his and thrust his hard length inside of her. She wrapped her legs around his body and moved with him, matching his thrusts and whimpering into his mouth. Moving his lips to her neck, he suckled at her skin, his thrusts becoming deeper and more forceful.  
  
Words came out of her mouth, but she wasn’t even fully aware of what she was even saying to him. The only thing she managed to focus on was tugging on his hair and the sensations rushing through her body.  
  
His lips brushed across her cheek as leaned in to whisper to her.  
  
“Come for me, Emma.”  
  
The way he says her name, so full of reverence, makes her heart flutter for a moment. How was he capable of being both gentle and harsh with her at the same time?  
  
Moving his hand between their bodies, he found the right spot to send her over the edge. She cried out, riding out her orgasm with him still moving in and out of her. He sped up and a moment later, called her name as he emptied himself inside of her, pulling her against his body when finished.  
  
“I love you, Emma.”_  
  
Emma awoke up with a start, looking around her bedroom wildly. After a moment she realized she was alone and placed her hand on her chest, taking deep breaths, waiting for her heartbeat to slow down. When the moment of panic subsided, she released a groan, pulling her pillow against her chest before lying back down. She closed her eyes to go back to sleep but images of her dreams rush through her brain and she suddenly became aware of a painful ache between her legs.  
  
Letting out a frustrated sigh into her pillow, she moved her hand down, discovering that she’s completely soaked through her panties. Just the small touch sent a small shiver through her body.  
  
Goddamn that sexy bastard for giving her such a vivid dream.  
  
Her body screamed at her that it needed to be satisfied and she reached into the bottom drawer of her nightstand, digging around until she found what she was looking for.  
  
Pushing back a bit of her hair, Emma grabbed her spare pillow and placed it under her back before lying back on her bed with her eyes closed.  
  
Once she felt relaxed enough, she ran one hand over her breasts, lightly tracing the outline of them over the cotton of her tank top. When she felt a rush between her legs again, she pushed the fabric down, kneading her own flesh before taking her nipple between her fingers and rolling it between them until both were hard.  
  
With her free hand she slipped her panties off, tossing them to the floor before picking up her vibrator. She traced the head of it along the inside of her thighs, over her clit, and then between her folds before turning it on to her favorite setting.  
  
She let out a small moan, imagining her mystery man between her legs, tracing over her with his tongue.  
  
She pressed the machine against her clit, moving it along her slit as she did so, pressing down so that the vibrations touched every part of her. She continued to rub it against herself, her hips slowly bucking up, still fantasizing about him between her legs.  
  
Just as she spread her legs wider to push the vibrator inside, the vibrations began to slow down.  
  
“Damn it, no,” Emma muttered, hitting it against the bed a few times before trying to change the settings. After a moment it died altogether and she groaned, tossing it aside.  
  
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” she mumbled, rolling over onto her stomach and burying her face into the pillow.  
  
Now she was even more frustrated than before. So much so that there was a painful ache coming from her abdomen. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to focus on her dream. It took a while, but she was eventually able to concentrate enough to finish the task that was at hand.  
  
Slipping her fingers between her body and the mattress, she began to stroke her clit with her thumb, her fingers teasing her opening, gathering up the fluids there before slipping them inside. Emma built up a good rhythm, rocking her hips against her hand as she clutched her pillow with her free hand.  
  
Biting her lip, she fought back small moans as she imagined Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious fucking her expertly from behind.  
  
She was close, really close. Just a few more-  
  
“David! Stop, Emma’s going to-oh God, yes.”  
  
Emma’s eyes shot open and she screamed into her pillow to muffle the noise.  
  
Mary Margaret and David were going at it right near her bedroom door and she suddenly had no desire to finish. Especially not with the noises Margaret was making. Good God, did the woman honestly think she was hiding anything?  
  
Emma heard them move into the bathroom and she groaned, covering her head with her pillow.  
  
Great, now not only was she sexually frustrated, but there was no way in Hell she was going to be sleeping anytime soon.  
  
And she was going to have to bleach every inch of her door and the bathroom in the morning.


	13. The Way Things Might Have Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August dreams about what life would have been like had Regina never enacted the curse.

_His hands lay splayed over her growing abdomen as he placed a small kiss on her flesh.  
  
“I forgot how hot you look carrying my kid, Princess.”  
  
Emma rolled her eyes before moving her fingers through his hair.  
  
“Don’t get any ideas, buddy, this is it. I was good to stop with Henry but you just _had _to have another one so you could get that daughter you wanted so badly.”  
  
“As I recall, it was you who had to have me in your father’s carriage. It’s not my fault you couldn’t wait until we got back to the castle.”  
  
She gave him a ‘look’.  
  
“It was your fault. Who in the world allowed the tailor to make your trousers so damn tight for that ball? Do you know hard it was to pretend I was a good little princess when all I wanted to do was bite you?”  
  
He smirked and leaned up to kiss her.  
  
“I do have a pretty nice ass, don’t I?”  
  
Emma swatted his arm and leaned her head back against the tree trunk.  
  
“Don’t let Henry hear you talking like that; I do not need another lecture from my mother about how I need to groom him to be King someday. I think she forgets we’re not exactly your typical royal family.”  
  
He kissed her shoulder as his arms wrapped around her middle.  
  
“Good, if you were, they would have never allowed you to marry a Carpenter’s son.”  
  
“Hey, you’re a knight.”  
  
“Only because you cried to your father until he caved. You’re a very effective liar when you want to be, Your Majesty.”  
  
Emma smirked.  
  
“Well, some of us don’t have a hard time hiding lies, _Pinocchio _.”  
  
“Hush, you’d have a thing about lying if you were constantly afraid The Blue Fairy would turn you back into a fucking puppet.”  
  
“LANGUAGE!”  
  
“Dad, look!”  
  
Three-year old Henry ran past them, carrying a white rabbit, but it got away from him and hopped away. Before Henry could run after it, Pinocchio grabbed him, tickling him as he pulled him towards him.  
  
“Come here, kid!”  
  
Henry laughed as he was tickled and squirmed until he can escape his father’s grasp and ran to hide behind his mother.  
  
“What’s wrong my little Prince?”  
  
“Daddy mean!”  
  
Emma hid a smirk.  
  
“Oh, well, we’re just going to have to do something about that, aren’t we?”  
  
Emma pretended to reach for Pinocchio but at the last moment grabbed Henry instead and began to tickle him as he squealed wildly.  
  
Pinocchio leaned back to watch the two of them with a smile on his face.  
  
“I love you guys.”_  
  
August woke up with a groan, pulling his covers over his head. Goddamn sun. Why hadn’t he remembered to close the drapes last night? When five minutes went by and he still couldn’t get back to sleep, August gave up and tossed the blankets back, throwing his legs over the side of the bed.  
  
He ran his hands through his hair before angrily reaching for his shirt on the floor, slipping it on. He missed sleeping in his boxers since he’d taken to sleeping in real pajama pants to avoid looking at his leg. However, the infection was on his foot now as well and he couldn’t avoid the glaring reality that he could very well die soon.  
  
And if he did, who in the Hell was going to help Emma break the curse?  
  
He knew she was more than capable of protecting herself, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to be around to protect her should the need arise.  
  
He moved into the bathroom to splash water on his face. When he emerged from the water, he stared at himself in the mirror for a moment before turning away, disgusted by what he saw.  
  
He’d never be the man he wanted to be. The man he would have become had Regina not enacted the curse. If they’d stayed back in their home, he would have never been separated from Emma. They’d have grown up together. He would have completely fallen in love with her rebellious spirit and he probably would have knocked her up at some point.  
  
Of course, the curse had happened and he’d been too afraid to stick with her like he should have, and some other bastard was Henry’s father.  
  
Yeah, he really had fucked things up, hadn’t he?  
  
August sat down at his desk and pulled his typewriter close.  
  
He couldn’t fix the past, but he could finish the kid’s book for him.


	14. Really, With the Middle Initial?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma finally finds out the sexy stranger’s name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we’re at the point where Emma knows August’s name, expect there to be a lot more chapters with stuff that isn’t in the show at all. Enjoy.

Emma spent the next week in a bad mood. She was gone before Mary Margaret could talk to her in the morning, wolfing down her cereal before spending her days hiding out at the station. She knew that if she ran into her mystery man she would find some way to drag him into an alley and fuck him senseless. And when she was home she had a hard time not thinking about the fact that Mary Margaret and David had probably screwed on every surface of the loft.  
  
Today she was braving going to Granny’s because she was sick of donuts, cereal, and leftovers. She really needed a hot cup of coffee and Granny’s amazing French toast.  
  
Oh and bacon. Always bacon. Emma could eat bacon for every meal.  
  
Plus there was the whole Mary Margaret calling her thing. Emma supposed it was time to deal with her roommate, even if she really didn’t want to.  
  
As she approached the diner she let out a sigh, stopping on the sidewalk. Of course he’d be here. Emma pushed aside all of her desires for him and began making her way towards the diner again, knowing she probably looked a bit intense, but she didn’t care, she was determined to not throw herself at him.  
  
She’d throw herself at some carbs and salted pork instead.  
  
Emma walked towards the diner with purpose, stopping when she realized her mystery man was coming right at her. They both stop for a moment, taken aback with one another. No doubt he was remembering her drunken advances.  
  
And there was that grin again. Well, two could play at that game.  
  
Giving him a flirty look, Emma shoves her hands in her back pocket, trying to appear uninterested, but really, there’s just a tense feeling in the air.  
  
“I’ve been meaning to bump into you. Matter of fact I was hoping we might grab that drink you promised.”  
  
“Is that you asking me out on a date?”  
  
Emma isn’t sure if she wants it to be a date, but there’s that small part of her that hopes it’s a date. It was hard not to want it to be one when he kept looking at her with those gorgeous eyes.  
  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August had been thinking about her, ever since the dreams had started. Every night for the past week had been spent with his subconscious plaguing his mind with images of what his life should have been back in the Enchanted Forest.

The angst from his nighttime life with his Princess had led to him throwing himself into fixing Henry’s book and writing his own story, to the point where it was nearly complete, and to the point where he knew he could no longer avoid Emma. It was time to get back on with the getting her to trust him thing so they could break this damn curse.

Having her wanting to go on a date didn’t help with his resolve to keep his hands off of her, however.

Neither did her lips.

August had to keep mentally reminding himself to stop staring at them.

“Well, if putting a label on it makes you more comfortable, sure, let’s call it a date.”

Okay, so he wanted it to be a date just as much as she did. He’d been born into a land with magic, True Love, and epic love stories, he couldn’t help it if some part of him wanted to show her some of the romance they’d both missed out on in their shitty lives in this world.

She just smirks at him with that incredibly snarky attitude of hers.

“I thought you came here to write, find inspiration.”

Now it’s his turn.

“I’m optimistic about our date.”

He wants her, badly, but he remembers the kid and the mission, so he decides to tone down the flirting, for his own sanity.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma isn’t sure whether to be amused or turned on. Perhaps she was a bit of both, which, in Emma Swan’s case, always ended in disaster. She had a horrible track record with men and it was probably better to find out what this one’s damage was before she went stupid for him, his stubble, and his penis.

“See, I have a policy, I won’t go out with guys if they won’t tell me their names. I find it weeds out the ones who like to keep secrets like they’re married or they store body parts in their freezer.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August stares at her for a moment, unsure of what to say. He couldn’t tell if she was serious or not. And if she was…

What in the fuck kind of men had she dated in her life?

And why were her eyes so beautiful, like the rest of her?

Then those lips…

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma watches him for a moment before she can’t handle dealing with the looks he’s sending her way. She was beginning to feel dirty from all of the eye sex they’ve been having since the night they met.

“It was nice talking to you.”

She pushes past him, needing to get away from his gaze.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August closes his eyes for a nanosecond, not even waiting a full heartbeat before calling out to her. They can’t keep playing this game anymore and it’s about time for him to really get to know her.

“It’s August.”

He turns just as she does the same and gives her a small smile.

“August W. Booth.”

“Really, with the middle initial?”

August smirks. Good God, she’s beautiful.

“The ‘W’ is for ‘Wayne’.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
“It’s August.”

Emma turns to find him doing the same and for a moment, her heart forgets to beat.

“August W. Booth.”

Emma can’t help herself; she says the first thing that comes to her mind.

“Really, with the middle initial?”

There was that look again. She supposed she’d need to get used to it.

“The ‘W’ is for ‘Wayne’.

Emma raised both eyebrows. Who the fuck did he think he was, Batman?

“So there goes your reason for not meeting me here after work.”

Emma felt a small twinge of guilt; she had accused him of being a serial killer, after all. And he looked so upset at the thought that she might not be here later. She’d considered not showing up for a moment, but she couldn’t help but check out that ass on his way back to his bike.

Oh yeah, she was showing up. She wasn’t going to be able to deal with all of her conflicting feelings and sexual frustrations by avoiding him forever.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
“So there goes your reason for not meeting me here after work.”

August gives her a small ‘be here’ look before walking away. He needs to finish the kid’s book and another moment with her and he’d resume the full on flirting and neither one of them needed that. Besides, he was sure their date would be full of it.


	15. In Which Emma Already Knows Mary Margaret’s Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary Margaret tries to avoid talking about David by talking about August, but Emma is having none of her shit today.

Emma let out a huge sigh upon entering the diner, trying to shake away all of her sexual frustrations and confusions over August. At least now she had a name to associate him with. Having sexual fantasies about a man whose name you didn’t know got to be quite awkward. Of course, it would be awkward later when she started having dreams about calling out his name.  
  
She groaned.  
  
Great, that was just what she needed.  
  
“Who was that?”  
  
Of course Mary Margaret had been watching. And why wouldn’t she?  
  
Emma had no intention of reminding Mary Margaret of her drunken escapades, so she doesn’t.  
  
“I don’t know yet.”  
  
And really, she didn’t. As intrigued as she was by him, she knew absolutely nothing about him other than he didn’t take advantage of drunk girls, which, Emma had to admit, was one for the ‘plus’ column.  
  
“’Yet’, so you’re going to find out?”  
  
Emma mentally rolled her eyes. Yes, she planned to find out. But that was yet another thing no one, even her best friend, needed to know about.  
  
“It’s nothing.”  
  
“Nothing with you means something because if it were nothing we wouldn’t be talking about it.”  
  
Mary Margaret was avoiding talking about whatever she wanted to talk about and Emma, wanting to avoid discussing August decided to call her on that fact.  
  
“I’m sorry; I thought you called me here to talk about you?”  
  
“Yeah, but talking about you is easier right now.”  
  
Emma forgot about August for a moment.  
  
“What is it? What’s going on?”  
  
She watched as Mary Margaret looked around and a part of her began to get worried. Her friend was behaving more oddly than usual. And the whispering wasn’t helping with the worry.  
  
“Remember when you told me to stay away from David and I agreed?”  
  
Emma hoped this wasn’t going where she thought it was going. They did not need to have the awkward talk about how Mary Margaret knew Emma had caught them having sex, it was bad enough she’d had to live through it, talking about it would just make it worse.  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“I didn’t.”  
  
Emma almost laughed.  
  
Seriously?  
  
As if it wasn’t completely obvious.  
  
“Yeah, I know.”  
  
“You do? How?”  
  
Mary Margaret could be adorably naive sometimes.  
  
“Because I’m Sheriff and you’re a love-sick school teacher. Covering your tracks isn’t exactly your strong suit.”  
  
“I’ve been discreet.”  
  
Emma hid a chuckle at the look on Mary Margaret’s face. She won’t make fun of her or tease her right now, because they’re in public, but later, at home? It was all going to come out.  
  
“Two tea cups in the sink, new perfume, late nights, plunging necklines, it was not hard to connect the dots.”  
  
Not to mention all of the times she’s been forced to listen to the two of them have sex. It was a good think Mary Margaret was a school teacher, she’d be horrible in any job that required sneaking around.  
  
“Plunging?”  
  
Emma had to smirk at this one.  
  
“When I met you, you were a top button kind of girl.”  
  
“Why didn’t you say anything?”  
  
Emma shrugged. As much as it annoyed her when she had to listen to it, mostly because it made her lose focus of her own August fantasies, it really wasn’t any of her business.  
  
“I’m not your mother.”  
  
“No, according to Henry, I’m yours.”  
  
Emma ignores the bit about her kid. She loves him but right now is not the time for Mary Margaret to change the subject.  
  
“I just figured you’d let me know when it was time. I’m assuming it’s time?”  
  
“He’s telling Kathryn.”  
  
This again?  
  
“Everything?”  
  
“Everything.”  
  
Emma’s skeptical that he’ll actually follow through this time, but she wanted to be supportive, so instead of telling Mary Margaret this is going to end horribly, she decided to make a joke.  
  
“Well, if this means David’s going to be staying over more often, do you think the two of you can learn to keep it down?” Emma whispers, giving Mary Margaret a cheeky smile.  
  
Mary Margaret covers her face, her cheeks turning red.  
  
“Oh my God…”  
  
“Yeah, the walls are very, very thin,” Emma teased before signaling for Ruby so she could get her fill of bacon.  
  
Mary Margaret kicked at her from under the table and the two began to laugh at the absurdity of Mary Margaret’s sex life.


	16. Darkroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August finishes repairing Henry’s book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> His hands in this scene. That’s all I need to say. And how did I manage to fit so much adorableness in one page of text, I can’t even…

August sat at his workstation, his fingers meticulously working to sew together the pages of Henry’s book. Once the new pages finished drying, he was good to put the entire thing back together and then he’d find a way to get it back to Emma and the kid.  
  
During his first few days in Storybrooke, he’d spent his time getting to know the ins and out of the town, eventually finding a basement space in Granny’s to set up his darkroom. He’d agreed to clean out the clutter when he was done, along with hauling out a few old boxes into storage and she’d agreed to leave him be when he was working.  
  
Fixing the pages damaged from the storm had been easy; it was making the new ones that had taken a bit more work and care. Not that August minded. He found the entire process to be therapeutic. It gave him time to think, clear his mind, and it kept him busy.  
  
In fact, it had all been so calming he’d not only managed to write out his story to add to Henry’s book but he’d also found himself clearheaded enough to work on old stories that he’d long ago abandoned. He hadn’t even craved a drink in days. With Emma around and a purpose, he really didn’t need to numb the pain anymore.  
  
The only problem with having Emma around was his desire to touch her, delicately, like he had to with this book, in every way a man had probably never touched her.  
  
August grimaced at the thought that men had probably been treating her the way he treated women all of the years. No, scratch that, even worse. August had been with many women but he’d never led them on. Women knew what they were getting into when it came to him; a good time, nothing more. He was sure the men Emma had encountered hadn’t been so honest with their intentions.  
  
Assholes.  
  
Emma deserved better.  
  
She’d been left alone in this world, thinking her parents had abandoned her, grown up in the same system he had but for a longer period of time, and she’d spent the past ten years separated from her kid, and that was just the stuff he knew about. She’d managed to go through all of that and come okay. She still had a sense of humor, her smile could light up a room, she’d made something of her life, and she was working like Hell to make sure her kid was safe.  
  
Emma Swan didn’t need to break the curse to be some inspirational hero or a savior, because she was already his.


	17. Graham

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma thinks about Graham.

Emma was always grateful for the boring days at the station. The most interesting thing she’d done today was let Leroy sleep one off in the drunk tank. Even if he was the town drunk, Emma was fond of him. She understood how life could make you want to use anything to numb the pain away and he wasn’t a real danger to anyone but himself.  
  
“See you later, sister.”  
  
Emma looked up to give Leroy a small wave. She hadn’t even needed to lock him in the cell, he’d come on his own this morning after a bender.  
  
Once she was alone again she rested her chin on a stack of papers she needed to sign and stared ahead at the objet she’d been watching the entire day.  
  
Emma sighed, running her fingers over the smooth material of the leather jacket. She knew if she picked it up it would still smell like that horrible Old Spice he liked to wear, but it would still make her smile because the smell would forever remind her of Graham.  
  
With another sigh she sat back in her chair, pulling the jacket close to her chest and smiled. Yup, just like Graham. She sat there for a moment, thinking about those adorable puppy eyes of his. She missed everything about him. They’d only known each other for a few short weeks and perhaps her feelings for him hadn’t been love, but they’d been the first real feelings she’d felt for anyone in years. And just like every other man in her life, he’d left her. Not in quite the same manner, but Graham had only repaired one wound to open a brand new, fresh one.  
  
“You’re pathetic, Emma,” she whispered aloud.  
  
She knew her fear of love was irrational, but when everyone in your life eventually let you down, what was the point in trying?  
  
She caught another whiff of Graham’s cologne and smiled.  
  
Graham had been worth the pain.  
  
Even though his death still pained her enough for her to sneak over to place flowers on his grave every Sunday and for her to keep his jacket locked in her bottom desk drawer, he’d been worth it. He hadn’t wanted to leave her. If he hadn’t died, maybe…  
  
Well, maybe they would have been happy.  
  
At first it had been too depressing to think about but now she found herself hoping to find love again and it was all because Graham had made her believe that it was possible. She’d be forever grateful to him for that. And perhaps, on some level, she’d always love him as well.  
  
Clutching the jacket for another long moment, Emma forced herself to fold it up and lock it away, silently grateful that Gold was a persistent asshole when he wanted to be.  
  
Emma spun her chair around a few times, thinking about the fact that she was about to go on a date. A date with a very sexy man who liked leather, had stubble, and-  
  
“Goddammit, Emma.”  
  
She mentally compared August and Graham and shook her head. There weren’t many, but there were enough of them. She clearly had a type. And maybe that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, Graham had been good for her, maybe giving the new guy a shot wouldn’t be the worst decision she’d ever made.  
  
And maybe she could do it right this time and without Regina being involved.  
  
Emma stood, liking that idea.  
  
She wasn’t sure what this date was going to entail aside from a drink, but to prevent embarrassing herself again, grabbing an early dinner wouldn’t be a bad idea, and since she already needed to go to Granny’s, it seemed like the perfect place to go.


	18. Hop On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August finally takes Emma for that drink.

Emma’s dinner ended up being a bear claw with a cup of hot cocoa. She’d contemplated real food, but she could tell from the looks Granny and Ruby were sending her way that she and August were going to have an audience, so she opted for a snack instead and a table outside. Maybe she’d be able to talk him into having their drink at the Rabbit Hole where they could have more privacy.  
  
She heard his bike from a block away and stood, tossing some money down on her table. She rolled her eyes at Ruby standing near the door. At least Granny didn’t bother to hide the fact that she was watching them.  
  
“You going to come in?” She asked, approaching his bike, wondering why he hadn’t parked it yet. It’d be a shame for him to cancel on her just after she’d decided to really give him a chance. “I thought you wanted that drink?”  
  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August didn’t answer her right away because for a full moment he forgot how to breathe. When he gathered his bearings, he grinned at her. Did she really think he wanted to have their date in full view of the town gossips?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
“I do. But I didn’t say here. Hop on.”

Emma is hesitant to get on the bike with him. They’re dangerous, in more ways than one. She already found him sexy; did she really need to hold onto him while the bike’s vibrations went through both of their bodies? Who did he think he was riding around looking like sex on a bike anyway?

“You want me to get on the back of that bike?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August sensed her hesitation as soon as his invitation left his mouth, but he wasn’t backing down, especially not with her asking more of her ‘smart’ questions. She’d grown on him, but sometimes he really wanted to kiss her just to keep her from asking him stupid questions she knew the answer to.

“That’s what ‘hop on’ means.”

“How about we go somewhere I drive?”

“How about you stop having to control everything and take a leap of faith.”

He notes her annoyance but she really did need to learn to lose control of situations or else they’d never get this damn curse broken.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma rolls her eyes, not amused.

“You owe me a drink, hop on. I know a good watering hole.”

Emma hesitates for another moment. Did he need to look so goddamn adorable while speaking to her? Maybe being in her car was worse than the bike, after all, it was a tiny, cramped space, but there was plenty of room for bad things to happen, the worst thing that could happen on his bike would be one of them accidentally copping a feel.

“If you don’t, I will.”

Emma turns to Granny quickly, trying not to show her reaction. She knew Granny could be a horny old cougar at times, but this was a bit much even for her.

_I guess he really is that sexy. It’s not just me then._

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August can’t help his smirk. He was more than well aware of the effect he had on women, or rather, every woman who wasn’t Emma Swan. He couldn’t quite get a read on her, but he clearly had an effect on Granny and Emma’s reaction was priceless.

Catching a look of resignation on her features, he reached into his storage compartment for the spare helmet he’d purchased just for this occasion, handing it over to her. Their eyes meet for a moment and she took his breath away, again. Turning towards the road, he gathered his bearings, knowing that being this close to her was bound to have effects on him and he needed to remember this was about getting to know her, not getting into her pants.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Shaking her head, Emma goes to him, taking his helmet with a resigned sigh. Fine, they’d play things his way; this time. She hopped onto the bike and slipped the helmet on, doing her best to avoid the bemused expression on Granny’s face. If Emma didn’t know any better, she’d think this was Granny’s way of trying to get her laid.

Emma wrapped her arms around him, trying not to notice how his body felt under his clothes but failed miserably.

_This is going to be an uncomfortable ride._


	19. Watering Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and August’s ‘first date’, part one.

The ride was less painful than August assumed it would be. Sure, her arms felt nice wrapped around him, but he managed to get them to the well safely and without thinking too many dirty thoughts about pushing her up against said well. _Too_ many; there were still a few that crept in.  
  
August parked the bike and hopped off, knowing better than to try to help her off; Emma wasn’t the kind of girl who’d appreciate the gesture, even if he was the type of man who’d love to perform it.  
  
He smirked at the enchanted look on her face, pleased with himself; he was clearly doing something right.  
  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma stood, enchanted with it all. It was incredibly sweet of him to bring her here, not to mention, the woods were lovely.

“A ‘watering hole’? Literally.”

“Say what you want about me, I always tell the truth.”

Emma glanced at him, her ‘super power’ reading him. She doesn’t know why, but she believed him, kind of. Maybe he doesn’t lie, but she got the feeling that he omits a lot of things, and while it may not be lying, it wasn’t exactly the truth either.

“I just thought a drink was like wine or whiskey.”

At least, that’s what most men meant when they asked her out for a drink.

He gave her a bemused look that sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach. She glanced down for a moment, trying to fight the feelings his gaze gives her.

“You want me to get you drunk?”

She looked back at him, smirking. They both remember the night she threw herself at him and a part of her would like nothing more than to repeat that night with a new ending.

“No.”

_Yes._

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August had a feeling her ‘no’ was less ‘no’ and more a ‘yes’, but he just gave her a small ‘look’. He didn’t need to get a woman drunk to have his way with her.

“Next time.”

He didn’t know how long he could keep being a gentleman and keep his hands off of her if she planned to keep looking at him like that. He didn’t mind a woman undressing him with her eyes but it was torture when said woman was sort of off-limits.

“You are optimistic.”

August shook his head, ignoring her little quip, if they kept on flirting like this one of them would end up pushed up against the well with a hand up their shirt and it wouldn’t be him. Well, probably not. If she started it, all bets were off.

He suspected the water in this lake was the water or Lake Nostos, the legend certainly matched, and while he didn’t need anything to be found, he had Emma, after all, he wouldn’t mind trying to get her to believe by showing her there could be a little magic in this world. The book would be done by morning and perhaps having it returned after their date would light a small spark in her mind.

“They say there’s something special about this well. There’s even a legend. They say that the water from the well is fed by an underground lake and that lake has magical properties.”

Emma sent him another one of her flirty looks and his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach for a moment. Did she have to keep doing that to him? The woman had no idea the affect she could have on a man, did she?

“Magic? You sound like Henry.”

_Oh, really?_

“Smart kid.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma’s eyes go to the stubble and an uncomfortable sensation rushes through her stomach. She tried her best to fight it and listen to his story.

“So this legend, it says if you drink the water from the well, something lost will be returned to you.”

Emma rolled her eyes. Yeah, right, that was a load of crap. Did he really believe in all of this stuff? And how did he know any of this?

“You know an awful lot about this town for being a stranger.”

“And you know very little for being the Sheriff.”

He had her there, but something was still nagging at her.

“How do you know all this? You been here before?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Good Lord, she had some serious trust issues. August planned to work on those once this whole curse business was done. If they could break this thing, he’d make sure she had every reason to trust in him and to have faith in things.

“I know all of this for one very simple reason.”

And maybe until then, he’d enjoy torturing her a bit.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
He planned to kill her with all of his mysterious way, didn’t he? That cheeky bastard. The anticipation started to eat away at her and then when she thought she’d scream, he finally spoke.

“I read the plaque.”

Emma moved to see read plaque and scoffed. A wishing well; how very _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_.

“You actually believe that?”

“I’m a writer; I have to have an open mind.”

She took notice of the way his eyes lit up and the feeling in the pit of her stomach returned.

“Yeah, but magic?”

Perhaps if she continued to find fault with his belief in things like magic she’d be able to fight the urge to push him against the well.

“Water is a very powerful thing. Cultures as old as time have worshipped it. It flows throughout all lands, connecting the entire world. If anything had mystical properties, if anything had magic, well, I’d say it’d be water.”

When he spoke she forgot how to think. If he could speak about water with such passion she could only imagine how passionately he did other things. Before her brain can tell her to stop she moved closer to him.

“That’s asking a lot to believe on faith.”

Emma didn’t believe in much of anything, so August and Henry, with their imaginations and unyielding belief in magic, mesmerized her, even if she did think they were a little crazy. She’d give anything to have hope the way they seemed to.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August knew this had to be hard for her, the entire idea that there were things to believe in, but he had to try. He tried not to let his guilt overpower him; he’d make up for leaving her, even if it killed him.

“If you need evidence for everything, Emma, you’re gonna be stuck in one place for a long time.”

“Maybe. Or maybe I’ll just find the truth before anyone else.”

He wanted nothing more than to lean in and kiss her in that moment. She’s full of piss and vinegar and he loved that about her.

“Well, Ms. Skeptic, there’s one thing I can tell you for sure that requires no leap of faith and I know you’ll agree with me.”

August takes a small drink of the water, trying to hide a smirk.

“What’s that?”

“It’s good water.”

August gave her a small toast, thinking:

_Here’s to us breaking this curse._

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma smiled and took a small drink. She’s falling for him and while it terrified her, it also made her feel a bit happy inside.

_Here’s to this one not fucking me over or dying._


	20. August's Rhapsody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and August’s ‘first date’, part two. Things don’t go the way August planned.

August watched her smile light up the small area of woods they occupied and leaned against the well, enjoying seeing her happy and carefree. He suspected that while she often let herself feel happiness she wasn’t usually this open with people and he’d take it if she was willing to let him.  
  
Emma sat on the edge of the well while he stood near her, letting her do the talking. He’d have to be a fool to jump in and ruin what could be his only chance to really get to know her before she remembered to put her walls back up.  
  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma doesn’t know why she’s actually telling him things, but there’s something about him. Like maybe he won’t judge her or maybe that he gets it or the fact that she’d spilled too much to him during their drunken walk to her place but she finished telling him about her last foster home, feeling a bit relieved to have someone to talk to about all of it.

“And after that I went out on my own, it’s been just me ever since, until Henry…”

She stopped, taking another drink to keep from talking. If she got started on her kid they’d never stop.

August moved a bit closer to her, not enough to make her uncomfortable, but enough for her to know he wanted to comfort her. She wanted to not want the sentiment but she appreciated it and a part of her wouldn’t mind it. She wasn’t a physical person but everyone needed a hug every once in a while.

“If you don’t want to talk about him, it’s okay. He’s a good kid…I can’t imagine what it was like for you…I…”

He sighed, flustered, and she found herself liking him a bit more.

_So, he is human._

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August wanted to apologize but she wasn’t ready for their story yet so he settled on taking a deep breath and just changing the subject.

“I was foster kid, too. I ran away a lot and when I didn’t they never bothered keeping me for very long so I just…I don’t know, couldn’t stick in one place for very long after I left the system. I tried the college thing but…”

“It just wasn’t for you? I know; I get it. I could never stick in one place either. I never really felt like I-“

“Belonged,” they said at the same time. August smiled while Emma looked down, embarrassed.

Maybe he couldn’t tell her the whole truth yet, but he could let her know that she wasn’t alone in anything. He wanted to fix her, even if she didn’t really need it, he just didn’t want her to be in pain anymore.

“Listen, Emma…”

August reached for her hand and that’s when things went from good to bad in less than ten seconds.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma glanced up to see the look in his eyes and her first instinct was to run. Run far, far away. This would only end badly, it always did. Why would this be any different?

_After all, there is no such a thing as True Love._

When he reached for her hand, she impulsively pulled away, forgetting that she currently sat on the edge of a very deep well. She teetered on the edge for a moment but before she could fall back, August caught her, pulling her against his chest as he did so.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August’s heart jumped into his throat for a moment until he felt her safe in his arms. He knew better than to think she’d fall into the damn well, but the possibilities of her hitting her head on the stones were high.

He held her against him for a fraction of a second too long and pulled away quickly, not wanting to freak her out even more. He kept an arm around her waist and moved his fingers to her temple, checking to make sure she hadn’t hit anything.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma took in his scent. Sweet Jesus, he really did smell like leather and ink and what she could only describe as ‘old book’ smell. It felt comforting. As did his arms. She never wanted him to let go but when he did, her brain rebooted on and she realized how stupid it was to feel any of those things. She barely knew him.

She looked away from him, flinching away from his touch.

“Are you okay? Did you hit anything?”

He sounded truly worried and she shook her head.

“No, I’m fine, really.”

She glanced up into those blue eyes of his and suddenly forgot how to breathe.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August couldn’t help himself, with the way she regarded him, looking the way he felt, he found himself leaning in to kiss her at the same moment she leaned in to kiss him. Some part of him knew this was inevitable, he was just happy it was going to happen without her being drunk or him screwing it up by doing it in a moment of passion.

He stopped, wanting to make sure she was really okay with this before he closed the gap between their lips, his eyes pleading with her not to change her mind. He desired nothing more than to pull her flush against him and claim her lips with his own. He hadn’t even kissed her yet, but being this close to her was better than any drug he’d ever been high on.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma’s heart skipped a beat when she realized he was watching her, waiting for permission. A deep part of her wants to cry because she couldn’t recall any man every bothering to respect her enough to ask for permission. Well, all except-

Flashes of her last kiss with Graham rush through her mind and Emma became flooded with guilt and confusion. Pulling away from August, she cursed herself, walking in the direction of the forest, quickly. She can’t do this, not again. She couldn’t give her heart to yet another man for him to break it, whether or not it was intentional.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August wasn’t sure what he did wrong; one moment she looked ready to kiss him and the next she seemed to be having a mini-meltdown.

“Emma!”

He chased after her, cursing his damn leg.

“Get away from me!”

“I’m sorry…I didn’t…look, I won’t…I’m sorry I tried to kiss you!”

He didn’t know what else to apologize for.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma shook her head, trying to fight tears that were threatening to come out. She felt his hand on her shoulder and she knew she couldn’t hide them anymore so she took a deep breath and prayed her eyes weren’t red to the brim with unshed tears.

“What in the Hell do you want from me? I mean besides the obvious.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
It broke his heart to see her cry and even more to know that she really thought all a man could want from her was sex. He stared down at her, trying to find the words to tell her that she meant more than that to him without sounding creepy or spilling the entire truth right then and there.

Slowly, August backed her up against the nearest tree, trying to keep himself from pulling her into a hug.

“Yes, because sex would be the only thing you’re good for, at least in your mind.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma moved her arms behind her, gripping the tree. For a moment she’s actually terrified he’ll kiss her this time. With most men, looking at her like that, she’d fear for something else, but not with him. She trusted him and that frightened her more than anything. Not to mention, the last man who’d kissed her had died. This situation had bad written all over it, no matter how she analyzed at it.

“With the exception of one man in twenty-eight years, yeah, that seems to be all men want out of me,” she spat back after a long moment, her gaze daring him to say anything to the contrary.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August actually found himself feeling angry. Not with Emma, of course, but with every other asshole who had ever dared to fuck her over, literally. And jealous that there one of them hadn’t and that she still clearly loved him. Who was he? Henry’s father? August cared and she wasn’t the only one who was scared. He wanted nothing more than to love someone the way he’d seen so many love back in their world but he feared failing. Failing the relationship and failing her.

He leaned in, as if to kiss her, but after a moment of staring into her eyes, he just pushed back a lock of her hair.

“I want nothing more than to be your friend. I admit, you’re sexy as Hell, Emma Swan, but I’d be perfectly happy just being friends with you.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma heart stopped for a long moment.

“Bullshit,” she whispered after she processed that the way he looked at her was not the way one looked at a friend. It was the way a man looked at a woman that he wanted to devour in every way imaginable.

“You tried to kiss me back there, is that how you treat friends?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August smiled.

“Well, I thought since we were on a date…”

He figured he’d try to lighten the mood so their day wouldn’t be entirely ruined.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma bit her lip. Could she really be mad at him for something she’d wanted just as badly as he did? She could deal with being friends; maybe.

“Okay…friends then?”

He pulled away from her and extended his hand.

“Friends.”

Emma found herself smiling as she took his hand.

“Fine, we can try that, for now.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August smiled as he turned to go back to his bike.

“Now who’s optimistic?”


	21. Gentleman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August drops Emma off after their date and apologizes for the awkward turn of events.

The ride back to Granny’s was tense and a bit awkward. Even though they’ve made peace, sort of, he can still sense she’s upset, but whether it’s with him or not, he can’t tell. August parked his bike in front of Granny’s Diner and this time he does hold his hand out for her. He doesn’t care if she’s the type of girl to appreciate it when a man actually knows how to treat a woman, because he grew up in a world where chivalry existed and he’s sick of trying to hide it.  
  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma wasn’t upset with August, she’s upset with herself. She shouldn’t have lost it like that.

Graham…

Well, he wasn’t coming back, was he?

And it was stupid to punish August for his death and for every other man who came before him. So when he offered his hand, she took it before hopping off of the bike. She took off her helmet and when she handed it over to him their fingers brushed against one another in the handoff.

“Look-“

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August cut her off.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again; just…can things with us not be this awkward anymore?”

Emma glanced at him sadly before nodding.

“Yeah.”

He can’t be near her right now; she needed time to get past this on her own.

August lifted her hand and kissed the back of it lightly.

“Good, because I meant what I said about being your friend,” he whispered, giving her a smile.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma couldn’t fight the blush that came to her cheeks.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around?”

He gave her one of his heart stopping smiles.

“Sooner than you think,” he teased, turning to walk towards the diner.

Emma glanced away from him, not wanting to stare at his ass.

Okay, now she really did feel silly. She’d make this up to him; soon.

“Emma, what are you doing? You should be…you need to get on that. Before someone else does.”

Emma turned to find Ruby leaning over the fence and rolled her eyes.

“Seriously?”

She moved to join Ruby, heading for the diner. She had yet to have a real meal and she wouldn’t mind a grilled cheese.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August headed for his room, too disappointed to bother with dinner. He wasn’t disappointed by non-kiss, he was just…sad that maybe Emma was more damaged than he’d initially assumed. They made quite a pair, didn’t they? The Princess and the Puppet. Both too royally fucked up to manage to have real relationships like normal people. Before he can reach the small hallway that led to the Bed and Breakfast, he felt a hand on his arm.

He turned to find Granny holding out a tray of muffins for him.

“Give her time,” she whispered, motioning towards the windows where Emma stood talking to Ruby.

“I-Emma?”

Was Granny giving him her blessing to go for it?

She smiled.

“Trust me, she just needs time. I don’t think the poor thing has really had the chance to grieve properly.”

“Grieve?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
“Why not? I mean, he’s hot. And have you seen the way he looks at you? I’ve been trying to get on that ever since he got here and that man only has eyes for you.”

Emma scoffed.

“Yeah, okay.”

“Seriously, throw him a bone, Emma. A nice romp would be good for you,” she whispered into Emma’s ear, reaching for the door.

Emma exhaled. Ruby, Granny, Mary Margaret, and Henry were the only ones who knew about Graham, so for Ruby to suggest this so soon after his death…

“But Graham…”

Ruby stepped into the diner and Emma followed her, surprised to find that it was nearly empty.

“Graham’s been dead for months, Emma. I know…look, I get it, but you need to move on. You can’t love a dead man for the rest of your life,” she said, taking Emma’s hand and giving it a squeeze.

Emma knew Ruby had a point, but she didn’t like it.

“Well, do you have any idea how I’m supposed to let go, then?”

Ruby shrugged.

“I don’t know, but I suspect letting someone else in there,” she poked Emma in the chest, “is the place to start.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August could hear their conversation, it was a tiny diner after all, and he was shocked; he’d heard everything about everyone in this town, but he hadn’t heard about Emma’s dead lover?

Granny gave his shoulder a pat.

“The old Sheriff, he…he died in her arms. Like I said, give her time, she’ll come around. Take these; they’ll help, for now.” She gave him a warm smile before heading back to the kitchen and August stood there, dumbstruck for a moment before deciding it would be best not to eavesdrop.

Plus, he had a whole Hell of a lot to think about when it came to the subject of Emma Swan.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma turned when she heard footsteps and watched as August disappeared into the hallway with his plate of treats, wondering if maybe Ruby was right. 


	22. Restless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our dynamic duo find sleep to be an impossible feat achieve the night after their date.

Emma tossed for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. No matter what position she shifted into or how many times she beat her pillow she found it impossible to be comfortable. With a groan of frustration she sat up and ran a hand through her golden locks.  
  
Every time she closed her eyes the image of August leaning in to kiss her flooded her mind, followed by shame. She felt incredibly stupid over her earlier behavior. Not because she hadn’t kissed him, but because of how she’d handled it. Tomorrow she’d apologize and fix things between the two of them.  
  
Aside from her sexual attraction to him she really did like him. He was smart, funny, and respectful. Not to mention she felt at ease with him and having another friend in this town couldn’t hurt.  
  
Signing in resignation, Emma kicked off her covers and slipped on her robe, needing a hot cup of cocoa.  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

_He held his face mere inches from hers, seeking permission for his lips to claim hers. He received his answer when she reached up to cup his face in her hands, pulling his head down to her, their lips meeting in crescendo of the longing they’d been fighting for weeks._

_The kiss lasts only moments, but it feels as though lifetimes have passed._

_“August,” she whispers, her voice resonating of what he dreamed Heaven would sound like. Emma gazes up at him, her eyes filled with hesitation._

_“I will never leave you, not again.”_

August awoke in a sweat, panic claiming him for a moment before he became aware of his surroundings. Cursing, he shoved his covers off before climbing out of bed for a glass of water. This evening was a disaster. He’d fall asleep for no longer than half an hour at a time before waking from intense dreams starring Emma, each of them reminding him of all the things he couldn’t change; leaving her, not being good enough for her, and the fact that she could never love him because she already loved someone else.

Sleep would not be visiting him tonight.

Emma Swan occupied his every single thought and they all wounded him to the core.


	23. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unable to sleep, Emma gets up to find Mary Margaret crying over David.

Emma carefully walked down the stairs in the dark, not wanting to wake Mary Margaret with the lights, a courtesy that proved to be futile when she reached the landing and found Mary Margaret curled up on the sofa, bawling her eyes out.  
  
“Mary Margaret?” Emma whispered, fumbling for the light switch. She blinks in discomfort as her eyes adjusted to the light and moved to her roommate, sitting on the edge of the coffee table. “Hey…” Emma searched for her eyes until Mary Margaret finally looked up at her, sniffling.  
  
Emma winced. Mary Margaret’s eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her entire face splotched red with tears, and her make-up was ruined. She was a mess.  
  
She reached out her hand to cover Mary Margaret’s.  
  
“David-“ Mary Margaret managed to hiccup out and Emma felt a small bit of rage rush through her. Of course this was about David. Emma had one guess as to what he’d done.  
  
“Let me guess, he didn’t leave her?”  
  
Mary Margaret shook her head.  
  
“He did leave her?”  
  
“Yes, but,” another hiccup, “he-I-the ent-oh God!”  
  
Mary Margaret buried her face back in her hands and Emma reached over to pat her on the back.  
  
“How about some hot chocolate?”  
  
Mary Margaret nodded, sobbing some more.  
  
Emma returns minutes later with two mugs, handing one off to Mary Margaret.  
  
“Okay, start talking.”  
  
Mary Margaret took a moment to compose herself before shaking her head.  
  
“I don’t see the point, I knew this was a mistake from the beginning and I did it anyway.”  
  
“I don’t understand, you said he left her.”  
  
Mary Margaret looked up at Emma with a resigned shrug.  
  
“He did but he lied to her about why. How I can be with someone who is constantly keeping secrets? I love him but everything we had…all we did was hurt people. That’s not love, Emma. Or, at least, that’s not how love should be. So…”  
  
Emma took Mary Margaret’s hand.  
  
“You broke it off?”  
  
The other woman gave her a nod and Emma joined her on the couch, wrapping one arm around her friend so she could lean into her. They sat like that for most of the evening, with Mary Margaret crying and Emma just holding her.


	24. Chatting with Ruby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A grumpy August does some sleuthing, but this time it has nothing to do with his desire to help Emma break the curse.

August emerged from his room, weary-eyed and lethargic. His night had been spent fighting off more guilt-ridden dreams about Emma and he’d maybe slept a total of two hours, not that his time sleeping had given him any sort of rest. He needed three cups of coffee, some food, and then a long walk that would hopefully either wake him up or send him crashing down from his caffeine high so he could force himself to get some real sleep.  
  
“Wow, someone had a late night, should I expect the Sheriff to be arriving shortly?” Ruby teased with a wink as August took a seat at the bar.  
  
August gave Ruby a small glare. Normally he was the friendly type but not this morning.  
  
“Wow…she really did a number on you, huh? Don’t take it personally, it’s just-“  
  
“The dead boyfriend?” August grumbled as he took a cup of coffee from Ruby gratefully.  
  
Ruby rolled her eyes.  
  
“He wasn’t her boyfriend, he was…technically Regina’s boyfriend or…fuck buddy, I don’t know. Anyway, they were together for literally five minutes.”  
  
August remembered how chatty Ruby could be and decided maybe today would be the day to return her flirting, to a degree. He wasn’t sure he could shamelessly flirt the way she did with a straight face.  
  
“So what, he dumps Regina for Emma and then, what, dropped dead or something?”  
  
Ruby’s face contorted into an aggrieved expression for a brief moment before she composed herself and nodded sadly.  
  
“Basically. They said it was a heart attack, but Graham was so young…I guess you never know when it’s your time, huh?”  
  
Or a certain Evil Queen had worked her magic to kill him for betraying her.  
  
“So, what’s the story, there?”  
  
“Why do you care?”  
  
Ruby put her hand on her hip and called to the kitchen for August’s usual.  
  
“Because I’d like to know what I’m dealing with so I don’t scare Emma off again.”  
  
Ruby looked him over and shook her head before turning to leave.  
  
“No.”  
  
August reached out to take her hand, stopping her. Giving her one of his dazzling smiles, he whispered, “please?”  
  
Ruby glared but his charms finally won her over after a moment.  
  
“Fine. Look, I don’t know what Emma’s deal is, but she and men do not mix well, so for her, falling for Graham was a big deal. And then he went and died and I don’t think she’s really dealt with it because being Sheriff isn’t exactly easy and then there’s Regina always…being herself. Emma’s in a constant war with her and just…”  
  
Ruby glanced behind her to make sure Granny was nowhere in sight before leaning in to whisper to him.  
  
“Don’t screw her over, okay? Emma’s a good person and she doesn’t need that right now.”  
  
“I would never do anything to hurt her,” August whispered back, looking Ruby in the eyes as he did so.  
  
 _Never again._  
  
Ruby studied him for a long moment before backing away, giving him a small look of approval before heading to the kitchen.  
  
“Good. If you do, I might have to kill you.”  
  
August smirked into his coffee. If only she knew how capable she really was of doing just that. It took him a moment to realize that if they did break the curse, they’d have one wolfy Ruby on their hands.  
  
 _Well, fuck._


	25. Henry's Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma finds Henry’s book.

August made sure to situate the book in such a way that Emma would see the box immediately but also so that it would be hidden just in case Regina came by. He stood across the street, watching with a small smile as Emma found the book.  
  
The way she looked around, as if expecting to understand how it got there was adorable.  
  
Hell, everything about her was adorable. Adorable and sexy. He hadn’t lied when he’d told her she was sexy as Hell.  
  
Deciding he’d watched long enough, he headed back to the diner, needing more coffee.  
  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma didn’t know how Henry’s book had found its way back to her; literally. And she didn’t care. Her kid was going to get his book back. The sour mood he’d been in since losing it would be replaced by that smile of his and that was the only thing that mattered to her.

With a small skip to her step, Emma slid in next to her kid, smiling with the knowledge of what lay hidden in her messenger bag.

“Whoa, I love that game, _Space Paranoids_ , right?”

The kid was too into his game it seemed so Emma gave him a small nudge.

“Yeah, my mom got it for me.”

It hurt that he was more into the game than her; usually she had all of his attention. Maybe she could find some common ground with him over the game.

“I used to play that all the time when I was a kid. Relax; it’s all in the wrist.”

When Henry lost she gave him a small sigh, knowing the feeling. But at the same time she was just happy to be near him, even if only for a few minutes.

“My mom’s picking me up in like five minutes.”

Right, Regina.

“All right, I’ll be quick then.” Trying to hide her excitement, Emma retrieved his book from its hiding place. “I just have something I’d like to give you.”

The look on his face warmed her heart and made her forget all of the bad things that had happened this week.

“You found it!”

Well, she had promised to get it back, hadn’t she?

“Where’d you get it?”

“I found it in a gutter.” She and Henry exchanged confused looks. She wasn’t sure of how it’d come back to her, though, August’s crazy magic water theory had crossed her mind, for a fleeting moment. “It must have fallen off the dump truck on the way to the junkyard and got tossed around in the rain and somehow found its way back to me.”

“Wow, that’s crazy.”

Emma agreed but it was the most logical explanation she could think of.

“What other explanation could there be?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, whatever happened, it came back to me.”

“Maybe it means out luck is changing.”

And there it was; that glimmer of hope in his eyes that she’d missed so much. How was it possible to love another person so much? Having a kid was scary sometimes. Did it really matter how many men left her or broke her heart when at the end of the day there would always be Henry?

No, she decided.

“Operation Cobra is back on. It’s a sign; things are going to be better.”

Emma wanted nothing more than to hug the kid, but with her luck that would be the moment Regina decided to show up.

“I hope you’re right, kid. I got to go.”

Leaving her kid always hurt, but at least this time she was leaving him knowing his day would end better than it started.


	26. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August and Henry bond at the diner.

“Is it true you’re dating my mom?”  
  
August looked up from his notebook to find Emma’s kid scrutinizing him. He couldn’t help but give the precocious little guy a smile. Leaning back against his booth he motioned for the kid to sit in front of him. He hid his amusement when he saw the outline of the book in his bag.  
  
“If I was dating your mom would it be okay with you?”  
  
“I don’t know, it’s none of my business, I guess.”  
  
August shook his head at the irony and felt his phone shake in his pocket. He slipped it out and set it down on the table only checking it when he saw he had a message from Emma.  
  
 _Got the kid’s book back. Don’t try to tell me it’s your magical well water, either._  
  
“What’s so funny?”  
  
“Nothing, your mom just has a hard time believing in magic.”  
  
“Tell me about it,” Henry said with a sigh.  
  
“You know, she told me about your book, and I think if you give her some more time, she’ll believe.”  
  
The kid gives him a skeptical look.  
  
“So…you don’t think I’m crazy?”  
  
“I’m a writer; I believe that anything can be possible. If I didn’t, well, then I wouldn’t be very good at what I do, would I? I think we all need to be open to whatever may be out there.”  
  
The kid is still skeptical and August begins to notice all of his similarities to Emma and finds himself liking the kid more. Aside from being curious and imaginative the kid had spunk. Not to mention he could see a stubborn streak in there.  
  
“So, you never answered my question.”  
  
And a smart-ass. August was impressed.  
  
“Your mom and I are just friends.”  
  
Henry gave him a knowing look.  
  
“Right. So, what’s your name, anyway? Since you and my mom are ‘friends’.”  
  
August actually laughed this time.  
  
“August. August Wayne Booth.”  
  
“Like Batman?”  
  
The kid even said things August could imagine Emma saying.  
  
“Yeah, like Batman.”  
  
The kid nodded appreciatively.  
  
“Cool.”  
  
“Henry?”  
  
They both winced at the sound of Regina’s voice.  
  
“I better go before my other mom comes over here.”  
  
This kid killed him.  
  
“Okay, but, hey, just to make sure you don’t lose the book again, maybe you should lock it up somewhere safe.”  
  
Henry grinned.  
  
“Good idea. Thanks!”  
  
August watched the kid take off before picking up his phone to send Emma a response. The last thing they needed was for Regina to get her hands on the book.  
  
 _Your kid is too smart for his own good._  
  
A moment later his phone vibrated.  
  
 _He gets it from me._  
  
August smiled.  
  
 _Clearly._


	27. Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma lays with Mary Margaret while she cries over being the town trollop.

After wrapping a few things up at the station Emma went straight home. It was a small town and even she couldn’t avoid hearing the things people were saying about Mary Margaret which meant Mary Margaret was sure to have heard them as well. She moved into Mary Margaret’s room after shedding her jacket to find her in bed, crying, just like she suspected she would.  
  
Emma wanted to kick someone’s ass. Mary Margaret was a good person who had made a mistake. Doing one bad thing didn’t automatically make you a bad person. She didn’t deserve any of this.  
  
"You feel like talking about it yet?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
Emma frowned; this was serious. Mary Margaret didn’t often go for the silent routine.  
  
"You want to be alone?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
That was more like it.  
  
Emma moved onto the bed, knowing better than to do anything but lie there, if Mary Margaret needed a hug, she’d asked for it. If just having someone there with was what Mary Margaret needed, then Emma would stay there all night, she didn’t mind.


	28. Sweet Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August and Emma stay up chatting on the phone like teenagers.

Emma stayed with Mary Margaret until she fell asleep. Carefully slipping off her roommates shoes, Emma covered her with a quilt before retreating to her own bedroom and slipping into her sweat pants. She dug her phone out of her pocket to find she had a few text messages from August. With a smirk she plopped herself onto her bed before settling under the covers.  
  
She sent him a short response before resting her head against the pillow. A moment later her phone vibrated, then again a few seconds later. She reached for the phone and answered.  
  
“Sheriff Swan.”  
  
“Is that how you greet all of your friends?”  
  
“Only the dangerous ones,” she teased.  
  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August smirked.

“So, I’m dangerous now?”

He could picture her smiling from the other end of the line.

“Maybe not, but I’ll still keep an eye on you.”

August leaned his head back, against the wall, twirling his old red hat in his hand. The things she did to him. August could never recall wanting to call someone just to hear their voice before, but here he was.

“So, tell me, what do Sheriff’s in small towns do on Friday nights?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma shook her head, playing with a loose piece of string on her comforter. Before coming to Storybrooke she would have been out on some disastrous date or tracking down felons. Now she spent her Friday nights drinking hot chocolate with chick flicks and Mary Margaret. Except tonight they had skipped the cocoa and movie part.

“Spend time with their roommate, as lame as that sounds.”

“Pity.”

Emma heard his chuckle and found her cheeks growing warm.

“Maybe we need to fix that next Friday.”

“Yeah? And how exactly would we ‘fix’ that?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August shrugged, tossing his hat to the side.

“Maybe you let me show you a good time.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma’s blush crept from her cheeks all the way down her neck.

“And what kind of good time would that be?”

“I do recall a certain Sheriff wanting me to get her drunk.”

She rolled her eyes.

“But I think we’ve seen enough drunk Emma,” he teased.

Now Emma knew he was smirking on the other line.

“So how about we actually get you out of the house to start and then go from there. There are plenty of things to do outside of Storybrooke.”

“Yes, but haven’t you heard, no one can leave Storybrooke or bad things happen,” Emma teased, shaking her head.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August was smirking. He moved to the window, his body feeling restless just sitting around.

“Oh yes, the curse. But if I remember correctly, you and I were able to show up so I think we’ll be safe.”

Emma laughed and August found himself grinning like a fool.

“All right, I’ll think about.”

“I’ll take it.”

August played with the drapes, looking out on the street below.

“So, speaking of the kid, we had an interesting conversation today.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, pushing back some of her hair. She reached for her bedside lamp to turn on the light.

“Let me guess? He tried to get you to join ‘Operation Cobra’?”

“Actually, no.”

Emma raised her brows, surprised.

“I think he gave me permission to date you.”

Emma opened her mouth and let it hang open for a moment before scoffing.

“He did not.”

“He did. And then…we may have discussed his book a bit. You know, it’s very interesting that it came back to you. Maybe you should start believing in magic.”

She couldn’t help but smile, even if he was being ridiculous. Emma pulled her pillow into her lap and squished it a few times before placing it behind her back to get comfortable.

“Yes well, maybe flying monkeys will take over the town tomorrow too.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August moved to his desk and sat, fidgeting with the items that lay strewn across it.

“So…we’re really okay?”

He hoped his voice didn’t sound as desperate as he felt.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma didn’t hesitate to respond.

“We’re better than okay.”

She heard him sigh in relief and she smiled, scooting back down into bed, finding a comfortable spot where she sat for the next hour talking to August until they both fell asleep, each getting their first decent night’s sleep that week.


	29. Second Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August takes Emma on that second date.

Emma couldn’t help the goofy smile plastered on her face. Aside from the getting a really good night’s sleep with dreams starring one very sexy writer, she felt like a schoolgirl with her first crush. Sure, the wall was still up and a voice in the back of her mind kept screaming at her to run for the hills, but she wanted to try with him. After all, how many men actually stayed up until all hours of the night talking to a woman? She’d spent more time on one date and one phone call getting to know August and letting him know her than she had in actual relationships.  
  
Maybe Mary Margaret and Ruby were right about letting down those walls.  
  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma wasn’t the only one who had sleep well. Instead of guilt-ridden dreams keeping him from getting any rest he’d slept like a baby, dream-free.

He walked into the Sheriff’s Station carrying a cup of coffee in each hand and found Emma in her office, staring out the window with a very dream smile on her face. Good, he wasn’t the only one.

She was deep in thought, so much she hadn’t heard him approach. Feeling playful, August put his foot on her chair and spun it to face him.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
One moment Emma stared out into nothing, thinking about giving August that kiss when she felt her chair lurch and she let out a very unladylike scream.

“August! You ass!”

Emma swatted at him and then placed a hand on her chest, her heart rate racing out of control.

“Sorry, Princess, I couldn’t help myself,” he teased, chuckling.

She gave him a glare as he sat on the edge of her desk.

“One of those for me?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
He had to admit, her reaction had been one of the best things he’d ever seen in his life. Laughing as she swatted at him, he sat on her desk, finding her presence comforting.

“I don’t know, one of these could be for you,” he teased, handing it to her before pulling it back, “but only if you ask me very nicely.”

Instead of giving him her usual ‘come on’ look, she stood and gave him a mock pout.

“Please?”

“No, that isn’t-“

August temporarily forgot how to form words as Emma slid in against him, her fingers trailing over the back of his hand.

“How about this?”

Emma leaned in and gingerly kissed his cheek, taking her coffee out of his hand as she did so.

After a very long moment August remembered how to speech and managed to get out words.

“That works too.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma took her coffee and sipped at it before turning away with a grin. She’d momentarily considered actually giving him that kiss she owed him, but thought better of it. Her office was not the best place for that, especially since she knew full well that one kiss with him would lead to twenty more and one of them straddled down to her desk where Regina or one of the part-time Deputies would be sure to interrupt.

“So, how can I help you, Mr. Booth?”

Emma sat back in her chair and swirled back and forth a few times before resting her feet on the trashcan under her desk.

She watched with amusement as August cleared his throat and took a long swig of his coffee, clearly trying to compose himself.

“I was actually hoping to take you on that second date we talked about.”

“Really? I thought I told you I needed to think about it?”

“No, you said you needed to think about me taking you out of Storybrooke Friday night. What I am proposing is just a date, here in Storybrooke.”

Emma tried not to appreciate his snarky tone or the adorable way his face lit up when he spoke to her.

“What, now?”

“Why not?”

Emma made her pouty face at him.

“I’m working.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August loved her pouty face.

One of these days he was going to kiss it right off of her.

“It’s Saturday! And it’s Storybrooke, what is going to happen if the Sheriff takes a lunch break?”

“Nothing,” she said in a semi-whine. A moment later, after considering it, she sighed, realizing her Saturday would probably be wasted siting around her office anyway. “Fine, I guess I can forward all calls to my cell. Granny’s?” She asked, standing to grab her jacket and keys.

August smirked, leading her out of the station.

“Actually, I had something else in mind.”

She glanced up and gave him one of her questioning glances but said nothing.

August’s bike was parked next to her bug with a picnic basket tied down to the back.

“Really?”

“Courtesy of Granny, come on.”

August lifted the basket and placed an arm around her, leading her in the direction of their well.

“We’re walking? Where?”

“You whine a lot, you know that? And I’m taking you somewhere special, it’s not far, the walk will be good for you,” he teased.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
“I do not whine,” Emma huffed, shrugging his arm off of her shoulders. It took her a couple of minutes to realize where they were going and she shook her head. She’d kill the romantic bastard if he hurt her after all of this.

“So, tell me, if our drink was our first date, shouldn’t last night technically be our second and this our third?” Emma teased.

August smirked.

“If last night counted as our second date, then me bringing you coffee should really be our third.”

“And this is what? Fourth?”

August stopped and she did the same. Emma faced him, grinning, as he leaned forward to push back a lock of her hair.

“Does that mean I missed the third date dirty sex session?” He teased.

Emma stepped forward and leaned up to whisper in his ear.

“No, see, I have a five date rule and well, seeing as I haven’t let you kiss me yet, I may have to change it to a ten-date rule, just for you.”

Now that she knew that she was capable of rendering him speechless she was going to have fun pushing him to see how far she could tease him before he went for that kiss again. Next time she wouldn’t pull away.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Was she trying to kill him?

August came back a moment later with his own bit of torture.

“Too bad,” he whispered back, moving his lips next to hear ear, “I was looking forward to showing you how a real man treats a woman because I have the feeling that no man has every made love to you properly and I plan to be the first.”

He slid his hand down her side before gripping her waist and pulling her flush against him, eliciting a small gasp from her and a smirk from him.

“You can keep trying to tease and torture me, Princess, but remember, I can do it too. Your move.”

He waited a long moment before pulling away from her and continuing their walk nonchalantly.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
It took Emma a moment to remember to breath and then she shook her head, rushing after him.

“Jackass.”

Five minutes later they finally arrived to the small clearing where the well stood and Emma suddenly became aware that somewhere between their flirting break and this moment she’d taken his hand. She casually slipped her hand out of his and walked towards the spot where he’d already set up a blanket.

“You are optimistic, aren’t you? What if I had said ‘no’?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August hadn’t complained when she’d taken his hand but when she let go of it he found himself missing contact with her. He moved to the blanket he’d set up earlier and the day and set their basket down, taking out the lunch Granny had packed for them with all of Emma’s favorites; a thermos with hot chocolate, grilled cheeses, and pumpkin pie.

“I guess I would have finally been forced to give into all of Ruby’s seduction attempts,” he said with a serious look on his face before breaking into a grin.

Emma shook her head and playfully punched his arm.

“Like I’d believe that for a second.”

“Now who’s optimistic?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma knew he’d been teasing but the thought of him actually giving up on her and going for Ruby made her stomach feel sick for a moment.

“It’s not optimistic, if you wanted Ruby, you’d have had her by now.”

“That’s true, not to mention there’s this other girl in town who’s caught my eye.”

Emma reached for the pie first and sent him a small look.

“Is that so?”

August gave her a look that was so full of genuine affection Emma had to look away, pretending to be interested in her pie.

“Just a little bit, though, I’m not quite sure where she stands.”

She felt the damn butterflies again and she took a bite of her pie before shrugging.

“Maybe you should give her some time to figure that out.”

“Oh, I’m planning to give her all the time in the world for that.”

She found herself smiling.

“Good.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Maybe not all of the time, just the time he had left. He’d find a way to make her break the curse and if somewhere along the way she found a way to feel for him the way he was already starting to feel about her, even better. 


	30. Miner's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While waiting for August in the diner, Emma witnesses poor Mary Margaret’s shame and follows her, trying to cheer her up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who’s been reading this and reviewing it and loving it, thank you. I don’t get to personally respond to everything but I wanted to give you all a big shout out because you’re all flawless.

After her long lunch with August where he’d regaled her with stories of his travels, Emma spent the rest of the weekend flirting with him via text messages in between trying to keep Mary Margaret’s spirits up, which mostly involved trying to keep her in the apartment. It hadn’t been difficult. When Mary Margaret had tired of Emma’s attempts she’d holed herself up in her room grading assignments and working on lesson plans.  
  
Emma felt bad but she didn’t know what else to do, she couldn’t keep Mary Margaret locked up in the house forever. Besides, it had been a few days; surely the talk would die down by now.  
  
She sat at one of the stools, waiting for Ruby to come take her order. It was early on a Monday so the diner was packed, which Emma was fine with. Her real reason for being here was to hopefully run into August. It was pathetic and she knew it but it was what it was.  
  
Watching as poor Mary Margaret got shunned yet again, Emma didn’t hesitate to give abandon her hopes of running into August in order to chase after her best friend.  
  
"Hey, mind if I join you?"  
  
Emma’s heart broke a bit. Mary Margaret just looked so forlorn and sad while shaking her head, even going as far as to hide behind her clipboard. Emma was horrible at this cheering up business, clearly, so she opted for trying to get Mary Margaret to talk about something other than David.  
  
"So what the Hell is Miner's Day and why are you beating yourself up over it?"  
  
"It's an annual holiday celebrating an old tradition. The nuns used to make candles and trade them to the miners for coal."  
  
"Coal? In Maine? If they were mining for lobster, I'd understand."  
  
This was an odd town.  
  
"Look, I don't know. Now they use it as a fundraiser. It's an amazing party, everyone loves it."  
  
Okay, so humor wasn’t going to cut it.  
  
"Doesn't seem like everyone loves it."  
  
"It's not Miner's Day, it's me. Last week I had ten volunteers, this week they all dropped out."  
  
Great, they were back to David.  
  
"You think this is about what happened with David?"  
  
"Oh I know it is. A few of them told me as much. I've never been a home-wrecker before."  
  
Sometimes Emma really hated the people in this town. Like they never made mistakes? And with the exception of her one transgression, Mary Margaret was a Saint. Emma was angry but she hid it, for Mary Margaret’s sake.  
  
"It's going to blow over, you made a mistake with David, it happens. But you don't have to do charity to try and win people's hearts back."  
  
"Well I have to do something. And this is the best I can do. I've ruined my life."  
  
Emma frowned. Mary Margaret was too pious for her own good.  
  
Emma’s phone rang and she felt relieved because she didn’t know how to respond to Mary Margaret.  
  
"Sheriff Swan.”  
  
She listened to one of the volunteer deputies on the other line, telling her they’d received a call about a possible accident.  
  
“Yeah, I'll be right down."  
  
Emma hung up, deciding she really couldn’t do anything to fix Mary Margaret’s situation, all she could do was continue to be there for her.  
  
"Well, apparently duty calls. Hang in there. And if there's anything I can do to help, I will."  
  
Emma reached out to touch Mary Margaret’s arm.  
  
"I know, thank you."  
  
She gave Mary Margaret a small smile before heading back to the diner where she’d parked her cruiser.


	31. You Avoiding Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August accosts Emma outside of the diner.

“So, have you decided to start avoiding me? And here I thought you liked me,” August teased, approaching Emma from the gate of the diner.  
  
And she did like him and he liked her. He hadn’t lied when he said he wanted to be her friend, he’d take anything from her, especially since what he wanted most was to help her break the curse, but they had somehow reached that middle ground between being friends and actually dating. He blamed her with all of her flirting, he’d tried to tune his down, really, but it was impossible to do when she kept insisting on seeing how far she could push him and then he’d turn it back on her and it was a never-ending game.  
  
Hopefully it would be a game with no losers.  
  
August leaned against the hood of her cruiser, crossing his arms with a hint of smirk on his lips.  
  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma smiled and opened the door to her cruiser, resting her arm on the hood. Looking him over she remembered that coming to Granny’s in the hopes to see him wasn’t pathetic; she just needed to enjoy the sight of him every once in a while.

August was the definition of ‘eye candy’.

“The jury’s still out on that one,” Emma teased.

Okay, so she did like him, so what? His ego didn’t need any stroking, so there was no need to actually admit it out loud, even if they both knew the truth.

“Seriously, you bolted the moment I came down, what was that about?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
He wasn’t worried, not really, but a man couldn’t be too sure. He’d been about to sneak up on her to test her Sheriffing skills when she’d bolted out of the diner. If she wanted to avoid him the diner was a horrible place to pick for breakfast but then again, it was a small town.

And of course there was always that small voice in the back of his mind that sounded annoyingly like Jiminy telling him that he needed to figure out a way to prove to her the curse was real and quickly. Of course, said voice didn’t offer up any solutions that wouldn’t scare Emma off and ruin any chances he had at helping her break the curse.

He’d find a way to help her and to make sure breaking the curse didn’t take too much out of her. August knew enough about magic to know that breaking the curse would take its toll on her and the last thing he wanted was for Emma to suffer.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
She caught a glimpse of wounded puppy from him and had to remind herself that he was still a cocky bastard, even if he was adorable from time to time.

“That had nothing to do with you, trust me. I’ll tell you about it later, though, I’m sure you’ll hear about it by then.”

Nothing stayed secret for long in this town.

“Well, I’ll just have to make sure I wait to hear it from you.”

Emma found herself smiling and realized that it was her natural reaction to him. Well, there was also the annoyance, but it was mostly some sort of amusement.

_Stupid, Emma._

_Friends my ass._

Emma was falling for him and it was totally his fault.

_Bastard._

Emma looked down for a moment before shaking off her thoughts and raising her head to meet his gaze.

“I have to answer a call from the station which I doubt will take long, why don’t we have lunch later? My treat this time.”

“Well, I can’t say ‘no’ now, can I?”

They exchanged glances for a long moment before Emma removed her arm from the hood of the cruiser, giving him one of her ‘challenging but flirty’ looks.

“You can’t.”

Emma slid into her cruiser and shut the door, waving to him as she drove off.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August watched her drive off before turning back towards the diner with a smile on his face where he was met with a smirking Granny.

“Mrs. Lucas.”

“August.”

She winked in his direction before going back to her business and August shook his head, chuckling. That sassy old woman had no idea how much he loved her.


	32. Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma finds Kathryn’s car but no Kathryn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t want to have too many show scenes so I skipped over most of the Sidney stuff.

Crap.  
  
That’s what this was: crap.  
  
Emma snapped another picture with a sigh.  
  
Her accident called had turned out to be a missing person, potentially. There was no sign of Kathryn and it would be David’s wife, wouldn’t it? Emma needed to find a real Deputy; the volunteers in this town were crap. Emma should have been called hours ago. It was after seven and the car had been found hours ago.  
  
She’d exhaustively searched the area to make sure Kathryn wasn’t injured somewhere before deciding to collect what evidence she could. Once the tow truck guys got here she’d call David, if he didn’t already know, along with half the damn town.  
  
As if this couldn’t get any worse, after Sidney showed up it became even clearer than Kathryn had to be missing. Luggage in the trunk? No trace of her? No cell phone. Nothing. Hopefully the phone records would turn something up.  
  
Emma turned away from Sidney when she heard David’s truck approaching.  
  
So, someone had told him.  
  
She didn’t know why she was surprised.  
  
That or…  
  
"Time to break the news."  
  
Sidney scoffed.  
  
"You really think he doesn't know?"  
  
Emma sighed.  
  
"I'm about to find out."


	33. Lie Detector

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma bonds with her father, only, she doesn’t realize it.

Telling David that his wife was missing hadn’t exactly been easy, especially since they really didn’t know anything. Emma wasn’t convinced David was guilty of anything, especially after she’d spent ten minutes assuring him that Kathryn wasn’t injured or dead out in the woods somewhere.  
  
"She's really just gone?"  
  
Poor David.  
  
Emma felt for him, the poor guy had worried written all over his face. Sure, she was the douche who had left his wife and screwed over Mary Margaret, but he clearly loved Kathryn.  
  
Plus, her lie detector wasn’t sounding off with him.  
  
"You really don't know, do you?"  
  
"I don't understand, what happened?"  
  
"I don't know; I'm trying to find out. What can you tell me? When was the last time you spoke to Kathryn?"  
  
"Yesterday afternoon."  
  
Emma sighed; she really hated this part of the job.  
  
"Look I know there have been lies and deceit and I'm really not judging you, but, is that the truth?"  
  
Emma watched him, looking for any signs of agitation, any clue that he could be lying.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Emma’s genuinely shocked because, fuck, he’s telling the truth and a part of her is relieved. She has no idea why, but she doesn’t want to believe that David could be capable of hurting his wife.  
  
It had to be for Mary Margaret’s sake.  
  
"I haven't spoken to her since we-I ended things. Then I came home yesterday and all of her things were gone. I assumed she was going to Boston. That's what she told me."  
  
Emma made a mental note to call that school in Boston.  
  
She watched as realization dawned on David’s confused face.  
  
"Am I suspect or something?”  
  
Jesus, he asked really smart questions, didn’t he?  
  
Okay, maybe that wasn’t fair, it was actually a valid question.  
  
"No."  
  
At least, not in Emma’s eyes. Once this got out however…  
  
Well, hopefully they’d find Kathryn before the finger pointing began.  
  
"I know when people are telling the truth and you, David, are. She hasn't even been gone twenty-four hours; she's not even technically missing. But if she is, trust me, I will find her."  
  
Emma watched as David’s expression changed for a moment, almost as if he’d remembered something but then it was gone.  
  
He gave her a small nod before heading back to his truck and Emma let out a sigh.  
  
She did not have a good feeling about this case.  
  
 _Fuck._


	34. Interruptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and August have a very sexually tense lunch date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d like to apologize for hitting you all right in the OTP feels.

After leaving Sidney, Emma spent her morning at the station making calls. To the phone company to try and get a GPS track on Kathryn’s phone, then the university, and then the hospitals in neighboring towns. So far she’d come up with nothing, but if Kathryn showed up for her orientation (or not) they’d call her, so that was something.

Emma ran her fingers through her hair before resting her forehead on the cool wood of her desk. She took a few deep breaths, trying to fight off an oncoming headache. It was barely after noon and her day had already been a full one.

Wait…noon?

Emma looked up at the clock and realized she was late for her lunch date with August.

“Crap!”

She grabbed her keys and jacket and rushed out to drive to Granny’s. When she arrived she found August in one of the booths, waiting for her.

“I’m so sorry!”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August looked up to find a pink faced Emma slipping into the seat across from him and couldn’t help but smile. How could he not? She’d clearly rushed to meet him and she looked adorable when she was flustered.

“It’s fine, I knew what I was getting into, dating the Sheriff.”

Emma leaned forward, setting her serious gaze on him.

“I thought we were friends?”

August leaned in and tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear.

“And here I thought we didn’t believe in lying to ourselves.”

Emma’s lip slowly curled in a smile before she stole a French fry off of his plate.

August pushed the plate towards her, suspecting she didn’t have much time for a real meal.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma pulled the plate towards her, noticing he’d ordered grilled cheese. She tried not to think about how thoughtful he was because when she did it made her want to get on with the kissing. And while she was all for the kissing, now was not the time.

“Ruby?”

She glanced over to her friend as she passed by their table.

“Hey Emma, August,” she purred, winking in his direction.

August rolled his eyes openly.

“Can we get another grilled cheese?”

“Sure thing!”

Emma shook her head and popped another fry into her mouth before moving the plate to the middle of the table so they could share.

“You have to admit, she’s adorable.”

“Should I be jealous?”

August leaned back, raising his brows at her.

Emma took a long moment to ‘contemplate’ his question before nodding.

“I think you should be.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August smirked and slid his hand across the table, taking her hand as she reached for another fry. He traced the back of her hand with his thumb before drawing small circles in the palm of her hand.

“Now?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma’s breath caught for a moment as a tingle went through her spine.

“I um…”

“Miss Swan. Shouldn’t you be working?”

Emma didn’t let go of August’s hand, instead she ran her fingers through his and looked up at Regina, challengingly.

“Even the Sheriff has to eat, Regina,” Emma said before slowly released August’s hand to reach for half of her sandwich.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August wanted to kiss her. Even without the curse and the whole evil witch thing, Regina was still a powerful and scary enemy and Emma had no fear when it came to her. She was an impressive woman.

“Excuse me, Mayor,” Ruby slid next to the table, setting down Emma’s order forcing Regina to move away from the table. She gave Emma a small wink before turning to Regina.

“Can I get anything started for you, Mayor?”

“No, I was just leaving.”

Ruby kept her cheery smile on as she watched Regina head for the door.

Okay, so Ruby was kind of a bad ass too, but he knew that already.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Thanks, Ruby.”

“Anytime. Just try not to burn the diner down when all of this sexual tension between the two of you combusts.”

Emma blushed and August snorted.

“Are we that bad?”

“Just a little bit. But don’t worry, I don’t think everyone has noticed yet,” she teased before heading to her other tables.

Emma shook her head, taking a big bite of her sandwich to occupy her mouth.

“You’re really cute when you blush.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Stop it.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

Shaking her head, Emma took another bite.

“Seriously, I have to get back to the station soon. My accident turned into a missing person. I’m sorry; I know I promised you a real lunch date.”

“Don’t be, I told you, I knew what I was getting in to. But you’re going to owe me.”

Emma finished half of her sandwich.

“Really now?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August finished his fries and discreetly gave her the other half of his sandwich, he was observant enough to know that Emma ate when she was stressed out and also to know she forgot to eat when she got busy with work. He was killing two birds with one stone.

“Yes, actually. See, I may be a patient man, Sheriff Swan, but I’m still a man and I think you owe it to me to let me take you out on a real date. So here’s what going to happen. Friday you’re going to dress up in something fancy, I’m going to wear something that isn’t a leather jacket, and I’m going to take you to dinner. Then at the end of the night I’m going to walk you to your door and if you’re lucky I might even kiss you.”

He watched the different emotions play across of her face and had to fight the urge to take her hand again.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma looked away from him, choosing to focus on her food for a moment.

She knew him well enough to recognize when he was being cheeky so she didn’t take offense to his joking ‘I’m a man’ comment, but the idea of him taking control was sexy. And the thought of a real date and what it meant was both frightening and exciting.

Deciding that refusing him would be a bad decision, Emma looked up, meeting his gaze.

“Okay, I’ll let you take me out, but only on one condition?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Now he was curious.

“And that is?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma smiled.

“I want a guarantee that I’ll get that kiss at the end of the night.”

August bit his lip and looked away with a smile before shaking his head.

“I think we can arrange that.”

“Good. Come on, you can walk me back to my car.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“How titillating,” he teased, tossing an extra big tip for Ruby on the table before following Emma to the door.

Her cruiser was parked half a block away so their walk wasn’t a long one. When they reached the cruiser, August took her hand in his and slowly backed her up against the door of the car, smirking.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma’s heart started to race as she watched him. Was he really going to kiss her, now? Where people could see them?

_Does it really matter, Emma?_

No, it really didn’t.

August lifted her hand to his lips and placed a small kiss on the back of it.

“Be safe, Emma,” he whispered. “Don’t do anything too brave to find your missing person.”

Emma couldn’t help but feel disappointed when he released her hand.

“Right. I won’t.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August could see the disappointment on her face.

What in the Hell was he waiting for?

“Fuck it.”

August grabbed Emma around the waist and pulled her against him, lowering his lips down to meet hers.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

_Finally._

Emma brought her hand up to the back of his neck, pulling him towards her.

Their lips were a mere inch from one another when a loud noise from her pocket startled her and sent her jumping, ruining the moment.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Emma answered her phone angrily, turning away from August so she could bury her face and her embarrassment in the hood of the cruiser.

“Yeah, uh-“

Emma raised her head.

“Wait, she didn’t show up?”

She sighed. Dammit, Kathryn really was missing.

“No, thank you. Call me if she turns up. Bye.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August had to resist the urge to kick something. If anyone or anything interrupted him kissing her on their date, there would be Hell to pay.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma turned back to August, frowning.

“I um…”

Emma moved up on her toes and kissed his cheek for a very long moment.

“Friday?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August was going to have one Hell of a time not kissing her until then. He pulled her against him and brushed away another loose piece of her hair while looking down at her, having an inner battle with himself.

“Friday.”

Emma was worth the wait.


	35. I Know Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma begins to realize that if she doesn’t solve this case fingers are going to be pointing in Mary Margaret’s direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Protective Emma is adorable. Also, the show skipped over all of this murder stuff way too fast, so I’m taking it in a more realistic pace because I’m Type-A like that. Thanks to my tumblr wife for the encouragement, you rock Booth Babe.

Emma slammed the door to the cruiser, in no mood to be around all of these people. Hell, the only thing she wanted to do was to find Kathryn, unharmed, and then spend the night wrapped up in August, but that seemed too much to ask of the universe.  
  
She marched over to Sidney, who had insisted they meet here, much to Emma’s annoyance.  
  
"What the Hell are you doing?"  
  
He was supposed to be helping her find Kathryn so he could write his big article and he was playing fucking games instead?  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"I just got a call from Kathryn's school in Boston. Registration was this morning and she never showed up."  
  
"Something did happen.”  
  
"It looks that way."  
  
Emma opened her mouth to ask him if he could speed up those phone records when Mary Margaret interrupted, with Leroy, of all people, in tow.  
  
"Oh Emma, help me out, what's more sympathetic; scarf or no scarf?"  
  
Emma hesitated for a moment, confused by the question but even more by the fact that Mary Margaret seemed to be in good spirits. Emma had spent days trying to get this out of her and now Mary Margaret was suddenly back to her old self?  
  
She tried not to let the sting of rejection hit her too hard.  
  
"Scarf."  
  
"Come on, we're on a schedule!"  
  
Emma glanced towards Sidney, confounded. Mary Margaret in high spirits was one thing, but Leroy?  
  
"Thank you. Got to go!"  
  
Emma watched Mary Margaret and Leroy run off, even more confused because she’d never seen Leroy in a good mood. Come to think of it, she hadn’t ever seen him sober either.  
  
"Why didn't you say anything? You're looking for a suspect, someone with a motive, pixie-cut over there's got one a mile high."  
  
Emma scoffed. Right, Mary Margaret? A criminal? Sidney was delusional.  
  
"She had nothing to do with anything, trust me."  
  
Plus, Emma had been with Mary Margaret all night.  
  
"But she's the-"  
  
"Trust me."  
  
Anger flooded Emma as she realized that Sidney won’t be the first to point a finger at Mary Margaret if Kathryn wasn’t found soon. The last thing she wanted was to see her best friend suffer even more.  
  
"I know her. Just get me those phone records."


	36. Fallin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma needs to hear a friendly voice so she calls August.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love all of my readers. Seriously, you kick ass Booth Babes. Also, can you tell I really hate the way they handled this entire case? Tumblr wife, thanks for looking this over.

Emma tapped her pen against the open file on her desk. After leaving Sidney and seething in the car over the case, she returned to the station to wait on Kathryn’s phone records. She wanted nothing more than to call a search party but it was too early to waste time and resources on it.  
  
She would assemble one first thing in the morning. For all they knew Kathryn was just out there lost and confused after wrecking her car.  
  
Emma let out a long sigh and dropped her pen before leaning back in her desk chair. Moving her hand to rub the back of her neck, she closed her eyes, trying to fight off the panic that all of this responsibility brought on. She could handle being Sheriff without any help most of the time but with big things like this? Maybe it was time to find a Deputy.  
  
An image of August with a badge crept into her mind and her cheeks flared.  
  
She replayed their almost kiss in her mind until her pulse began to race. Waiting until Friday was going to be painful. August was too attractive for her own good.  
  
Not that she was only attracted to him because he was a walking sex god, though, it was part of it. She’d never met a man as thoughtful as he was. He didn’t even seem to try to do it either, it was just natural. When she spoke he actually paid attention. He wasn’t forceful like some other men.  
  
And…  
  
While Emma hated to admit it, even to herself, when she was near him she felt safe. There was no other way to describe it. She felt deep down that he would never intentionally hurt her and that he’d wait forever for her if needed.  
  
And that scared the crap out of her.  
  
So did the fact that she found herself missing him and he wasn’t around.  
  
Emma glanced down to her phone, frowning. She was getting used to their flirty text banter but August seemed to be giving her time to do her job.  
  
There was that thoughtfulness.  
  
But Emma couldn’t really do anything but wait it out. She didn’t know the woods well enough to search for Kathryn without getting lost and if she broke protocol Regina would flip her shit. Not that Emma minded the thought of it, but she did mind the idea of Regina using it to call for a recall election.  
  
Before Emma registered what she was doing, her phone was to her ear and August’s voice answered on the other line.  
  
“Emma?”  
  
Emma hesitated for a moment, not sure what to say.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
“Hey?”  
  
She took in his voice for a moment before opening her eyes and swirling in her chair.  
  
“I don’t suppose you know anything about trekking through the forest, do you?”  
  
Emma could hear him smile on the other line.  
  
“No, I can’t say that I do. But if you’re planning to head out there and get lost I’ll come with you. Just so you won’t be alone.”  
  
“Are you sure you’re not just hoping we will get lost and I’ll have to use your body for warmth?”  
  
August chuckled.  
  
“Maybe a little.”  
  
It was Emma’s turn to smile.  
  
They both went silent for a moment before August spoke, his voice clearly displaying concern.  
  
“Are you okay, Ems?”  
  
Her new nickname brought a smile to her lips and she let out a breath she didn’t recall holding.  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Except for the fact that she was clearly falling for August and the fact that her best friend’s lover’s wife was missing, she was fine.  
  
Well, maybe not fine, but she could handle it. She’d handled worse.  
  
“Okay, I found a real bar the other day. How about I buy you that drink I promised?”  
  
Emma knew which bar he was talking about. She’d never been because they both knew what happened when she drank too much, but Emma could handle one drink. And she was sure by the time the day was done, she’d need it.  
  
“Well, if you insist, sure, why not.”  
  
“Okay, I’ll see you then. And Emma?”  
  
She could hear the grin again, the bastard.  
  
“August?”  
  
“The next time you want to call me just to flirt, admit to it.”  
  
 _Bastard._


	37. Complicated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina gets on Emma’s case about finding Kathryn and about August.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been slow on the posting because I keep adding stuff in and adding more chapters and making notes and the story’s been a mess for a while but I spent the week cleaning it all up, so expect more regular updates. Note to the wife: no one more allowing me to overanalyze the first season. That nonsense needs to stop.

Emma let out a deep, slow sigh. While her gut told her that David had nothing to do with Kathryn’s disappearance, the phone records sitting on her desk showed a different story. According to them he’d spoken to her an hour before she went missing, long after he claimed to have seen or spoken to her last, and it was an eight-minute call, an entire conversation.  
  
She knew Sidney had to be right, phone records didn’t lie, people did, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that David was innocent. On the other hand, she knew she couldn’t ignore the facts.  
  
Emma leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She knew what she was required to do as Sheriff, but it didn’t mean she liked it. This sucked. She knew David was telling the truth, but if Regina got wind of this…  
  
She grabbed her highlighter and marked the call from David, staring down at it as if she’d suddenly find the answers she’d been seeking through the pink ink. She popped the cap off with her fingers before pushing it back down and repeated the gesture while she contemplated her next move.  
  
Emma heard Regina long before she came into view and didn’t bother to look up to acknowledge her. Her day had been hard enough without Regina making it worse.  
  
"If this is about the black-out, I've got the guys from the power company down there and they're working on it."  
  
"That's not why I'm here.”  
  
Emma glanced up, curious.  
  
“It's been twenty-four hours since my friend Kathryn went missing, have you found anything?"  
  
Emma’s bullshit detector went off immediately, making her eye twitch. For Henry’s sake, Emma fought the urge to call Regina on her lie. The kid had to deal with enough crap and besides, if she ever wanted to see him, she needed to stay on Regina’s good side.  
  
"I found something; I just don't know what it means."  
  
"Well what is it?"  
  
Emma studied Regina and every bone in her body screamed that Regina was up to something. Regina had to be kidding herself if she thought Emma was stupid enough to give her details on the case.  
  
"At this point in the investigation it's best I don't divulge that information."  
  
"If you're covering for someone…” There it was. Emma wasn’t sure what it was, but Regina was definitely up to something. “If you're not doing your job, Sheriff Swan…” Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Regina only called her ‘Sheriff’ when she wanted something. "I'll find someone who will."  
  
Ah, there it was. Regina was trying to get her fired. Emma wasn’t sure why she was surprised. She’d be extra careful to cover all of her bases on this case, just so Regina had no room to accuse Emma of misconduct or some other crap.  
  
Emma watched as Regina left and shook her head, reaching for her coffee.  
  
She really needed that drink with August later, but…  
  
Emma glanced up as the click of Regina’s heels came closer once more.  
  
“And another thing, _Miss_ Swan,” there it was, “the next time I ask you to investigate someone on Henry’s behalf, try not to seduce him instead. Though, I should say, I’m not surprised.”  
  
Keeping her mouth shut for the kid was one thing, but this?  
  
“What bothers you more, _Madam_ Mayor? That there’s a Sheriff in office who won’t sleep with you or that I have an attractive man in my bed while yours remains empty?”  
  
Regina sent a glare Emma’s way that would have terrified most people but not Emma. Emma just lifted an eyebrow in response as if to say ‘bring it’.  
  
“Just keep him away from _my_ son.”


	38. The Writer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August works on a new story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love everyone who reads this, so much.

August leaned back in his chair, stretching until a small ‘pop’ in his back sent a wave of relief to his stiff muscles. He’d been at the typewriter for hours and needed a break. Rubbing at his eyes, he reached for his phone to check the time finding he still had another hour before he was due to meet Emma.  
  
Gathering the pages he’d already written, August decided to read through his new story.  
  
He stood and flicked on the overhead light, the small desk lamp not sufficient for his task. Pacing the room to stretch his legs, he began skimming through his tale of a spirited, independent princess and the son of a woodcarver that she fell in love with.  
  
Five pages in, August already hated every word he’d written. Throwing the stack down on the desk, he instinctively reached for his phone, just as it began to ring. He flipped it open without needing to see the caller I.D.; Emma’s siren call to him extended even to phone calls it seemed.  
  
“Storybrooke brothel, how may I please you this evening?”  
  
August could hear Emma rolling her eyes and smiled.  
  
“What’s going on, beautiful? Miss me already?”  
  
Emma scoffed.  
  
“No.”  
  
“Liar.”  
  
“Shut up.”  
  
August sat in his chair and twirled it around, reaching for his hat. Whenever he found himself needing to toy with something, he always went for the one thing he had left of his childhood.  
  
“What do I owe the pleasure of this call? Or rather, what is so important that you couldn’t wait an hour to tell me?”  
  
“About that…”  
  
“You’re not coming?”  
  
He could picture her grimacing and frowned.  
  
“I’m sorry, but I got a break in the case and I don’t know how long this is going to take me.”  
  
“Don’t worry about it; I told you, I knew what I was getting into with you.”  
  
“Rain check?”  
  
August traced the rim of his hat for a moment before speaking.  
  
“Why don’t you call me when you’re done? I’ll be up for hours working and bars stay open until two.”  
  
“And if it’s later than that?”  
  
“Are you inviting yourself up to my room?”  
  
“No.”  
  
August could sense her blush.  
  
“Liar.”  
  
“Shut up.”  
  
“Thought so. So…I’ll see you later?”  
  
“Yeah, fine. Later.”  
  
“Later, sunshine.”


	39. The Arrest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma makes the decision to bring David in.

A huge knot of guilt had settled in Emma’s stomach, making her feel the urge to vomit. Not only was she not happy about what she was about to do, but everything in her body told her it was wrong. But she had no choice; this was a part of her job.  
  
As she parked the cruiser, she looked around to make sure Henry wasn’t around. She wouldn’t put it past Regina to let him be out this late, alone. And while she’d like to have proof that Regina was a crap mother, Emma was relieved not to see him. She felt bad enough without Henry having witness her shame.  
  
She swallowed back the sick feeling and walked quickly towards David, wanting to get this over with.  
  
"Emma."  
  
"David, we need to talk."  
  
"Did you get a hold of Kathryn?"  
  
Emma hesitated. She didn’t need a lie detector to know David was genuinely worried about Kathryn. A rush of anger rushed through her, all of it directed to Regina, and she forced herself to speak.  
  
"No, I'm afraid not."  
  
This is all awkward for her. She doesn’t know where her guilt is stemming from, it’s not like she and David are good friends or anything, but…  
  
She feels…something…a connection, maybe. She feels responsible for him in some ways. Perhaps it was because she, Mary Margaret, and Graham had saved him.  
  
That had to be it.  
  
“Then…what is it?”  
  
"I need you to come to the Sheriff's Station with me and tell me everything."  
  
The wounded puppy look that crossed David’s features killed her. It reminded her of Henry.  
  
"I'm sorry, I thought I already did."  
  
"Do did I."  
  
Emma can’t bear to cuff him; she’s just bringing him in for questioning, she tells herself. Luckily, David followed willingly and allowed her to lead him into the backseat of the cruiser. With a wince, she shut the door on him.  
  
She glanced up and met Mary Margaret’s gaze and promptly turned away. Emma felt guilty enough without having to think about what this would do to Mary Margaret.


	40. Conflicted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Emma and David scene in the Sheriff’s station a.k.a. Emma has Daddy feels but doesn’t know it because she doesn’t know what those are.

Emma returned from the break room with two mugs of tea. She handed one to David and leaned against her desk, studying him.  
  
She’d questioned him and every bone in her body still told her that he was innocent. He’d been genuinely confused and Emma had gone through everything. He hadn’t misplaced his phone or let anyone else borrow it. He hadn’t forgotten to mention a phone call. The only thing Emma could think of was that someone had cloned his phone, but that seemed a bit extreme.  
  
"Thank you. I hope Kathryn's somewhere warm. Not out in the cold."  
  
Emma watched him for a moment. David was a good person who’d made a mistake, just like Mary Margaret. Neither one of them deserved to go through this. She’d make sure Kathryn was safe, if she was still out there. If not, then she’d make sure that whoever hurt her paid for it.  
  
"David, I think you need to start worrying about yourself a bit more here. Your wife is missing; you are in love with another woman. There's this," she picked up the phone records, to emphasize her point, "unexplained phone call."  
  
"I know and I can't explain why it says that. I didn't do anything to my wife."  
  
There it was again, that overwhelming need to protect him.  
  
"I'm pretty good at spotting a liar and honestly, liars have better material."  
  
She sent a sad smile his way.  
  
"Now go home."  
  
"I can go."  
  
Emma stood and opened the door to her office. She’s done her job. David’s been interviewed, the phone call is circumstantial, and Regina would have no reason to complain. If Emma suspected him of anything, she’d find a reason to book him, but she seeing as she knew he hadn’t done anything, there was no use in keeping him any longer than she had to.  
  
"We don't even know if there was a crime yet. So...get some sleep."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"And David..." While Emma wanted to protect him and she didn’t believe he was guilty, she was still worried that this could end up going south for him. “Maybe get a lawyer."  
  
The two shared a small exchange of understanding. She didn’t want to arrest him for this but if any new evidence surfaced, she’d have her, and if that was the case, he needed to be ready for it. David nodded and left her alone with her remorse eating away at her.


	41. Lemures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August regales Ruby with tales of his travels while refusing her advances.

August leaned back in his chair and threw down his red pen before running a hand through his hair. After his phone call with Emma, he’d failed to write anything new and had spent his afternoon wasting time in ripping apart the pages he’d written earlier until he could see nothing but red ink.  
  
With a small sigh, he stood and moved towards the window, stretching as he went. It was dusk, which meant Granny’s would be full of the dinner crowd. He could do with some food and perhaps the wait would help him kill some time until Emma was free.  
  
“Mrs. Lucas,” August greeted, stopping to kiss Granny on the cheek as he scanned the room for an open table. Granny swatted him away with a smile.  
  
“Don’t get fresh with me, August; I’m too much woman for you.”  
  
August smirked and winked at Ruby who was doing her best not to laugh.  
  
“That’s why I’m still single, because no one compares to you.”  
  
Granny rolled her eyes and shook her head before going back to her paperwork and barking at one of the waitresses to get back to work.  
  
“Evening, Ruby.”  
  
Ruby gave him a flirty smile and cleared a table for him, before placing a hand on her hip and balancing her tray with her free hand.  
  
“Let me guess,” she said as he took a seat. “Tonight’s special and,” she assessed him for a moment, “you look a little tired, so you’re going to be dangerous and go for the regular cola tonight?”  
  
August leaned forward and shook his head.  
  
“I am truly that predictable?”  
  
“Yup,” she told him with a wink. “And I’ll take that as a yes,” she said cheerfully before sauntering off to give the kitchen his order.  
  
With a chuckle, August slipped his phone out of his pocket. No new messages.  
  
He set the damn thing to the side and did his best not to think about Emma. Of course, the more he tried not to think about her, the more he thought about her.  
  
He replayed their phone conversations over in his head with a smile. He’d tried to feel smug about the knowledge that she’d called just to hear his voice, but seeing as he’d had the urge to do the same many times before, he just had a sick feeling in his stomach instead.  
  
Didn’t they say love made you sick?  
  
He was falling for her, hard, and he wasn’t even sure he wanted to stop it.  
  
“Whoever she is, she must be special.”  
  
Ruby snapped August out of his thoughts as she placed his meal in front of him.  
  
“What?”  
  
Ruby shook her head and went to wait on another table, leaving August with frown. Dammit, he was even being obvious about it. How long would it be before Emma caught on?  
  
August knew he should be spending more time focusing on helping Emma break the curse, but he also couldn’t rush this. Emma had grown up in a world where people didn’t believe in magic or fairytales and he needed her to trust him before he could tell her the full story. It was going to take time to get her to believe, he reminded himself, so it wasn’t as if he was wasting time in getting close to her.  
  
At least, that’s what he would keep telling himself.  
  
Once he finished eating, he checked his phone again to find that he still had no call from Emma. Pushing his worry for her safety aside, he reminded himself that interrogations took time and she was probably still busy at the station.  
  
He flagged Ruby down and ordered desert, knowing that if he went back to his room he’d start imagining Emma was in danger. The diner provided him with a distraction, along with Ruby, who he decided to indulge a bit. With all of her flirting, they’d yet to have a real conversation, so he found himself regaling her with tales of his travels, enjoying the smile it brought to her face.  
  
"You can't be serious? An entire year without a roof over your head?”  
  
August shrugged, meeting her eyes.  
  
"You get used to it."  
  
August had been in far worse situations. He was an addict and he’d gotten himself into some pretty tight spots over the years. Of course, when you lived life under the influence, you didn’t really care about anything but chasing the next fix.  
  
He’d spent his life running from his guilt and now that he’d come face to face with the source of it, he no longer felt the urge to indulge. Somehow, his Princess had fixed him.  
  
"Plus I had the motorcycle so if I didn't like a place after a while I could just-" He made a flying-off motion with his hand and went for another bite of his pastry.  
  
"Ruby!"  
  
August winced and glanced toward Granny. He had a sudden flashback to being a seven-year old boy being caught sneaking a cookie in before dinner time.  
  
"I've never even been out of Storybrooke.”  
  
Ruby’s voice was sad and far off and for the first time, August really understood what the curse had done to these people. Aside from ripping them away from their families and stealing their memories and lives, it had trapped them here.  
  
He tried not to let his guilt consume him. He and Emma would find a way to break the curse and save everyone.  
  
“What was your favorite place?"  
  
August caught sight of and angry Granny and found himself caught between a wolf and a hard place. On the one hand he had Ruby, who, despite his best efforts to be a gentleman, had practically been in his lap for his entire meal. On the other, there was Granny who could still instill the fear of God into him. But, while he had no interest in Ruby, he didn’t want to be rude either. Perhaps he could brush her off gracefully.  
  
"Nepal. Best people. They have these prayer temples carved into mountains that are overrun with lemures."  
  
"What are lemurs?"  
  
He smirked. ‘Lemures’ were spirits that inhabited the stone structures, but seeing as this was Storybrooke, he thought it best not to delve into the supernatural, at least not until the curse was broken.  
  
"RUBY!"  
  
"Just give me a sec!"  
  
"They're little animals and they have these eyes that reflect light so at night it looks like they glow."  
  
 _Just like a wolf’s._  
  
"Ruby!"  
  
August did not want to be Ruby right now.  
  
"Stop flirting and get over here."  
  
He groaned. Fuck, he didn’t want Emma to hear he’d been flirting, especially when he hadn’t been. Hell, he’d made sure to maintain eye contact at all times to make sure Ruby didn’t get the wrong idea. Sure, Ruby was attractive but he only had eyes for Emma.  
  
Besides, Ruby had been his babysitter as a child. If anything, he was amused with this Storybrooke version of the big, bad-ass Red he remembered.  
  
August picked up his phone and decided to check in with his Princess.  
  
 _Ruby’s flirting with me again. How many times do I have to say ‘no’ before she gets the hint?_  
  
 _There_ , he thought, setting his phone to the side. Now she’d hear it from him first and he wouldn’t get in trouble.  
  
 _Are you trying to get me to save you from the big, bad wolf?_  
  
 _Yes._  
  
He focused on flirting with Emma, trying to do his best to ignore Ruby and Granny’s arguing, but they weren’t exactly the quietest pair in the world.  
  
"Is that punishment for talking to that guy?"  
  
He felt bad, having had no intention of getting Ruby into trouble with Granny.  
  
"You dress like a drag queen during fleet week."  
  
"Yeah, well, you dress like Norman Bates when he dresses like Norman Bates' mother."  
  
August couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips. He choked a bit on his food and spit it into a napkin so he wouldn’t kill himself.  
  
 _I’m finally free for that drink._  
  
He knew Emma meant a drink at the bar, but there had been a chill in the air for the past few nights.  
  
 _I’m at Granny’s, should I bring you something? Hot cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon, perhaps?_  
  
 _Are you trying to get that kiss a few days early?_  
  
August smiled.  
  
 _I’ll take that as a yes. See you soon, Princess._  
  
Sliding his phone back into his jeans, August went for the rest of his desert.  
  
“You just want me to act like you until I turn into you. Well, I am not a fossil yet, Granny. I should be out there having adventures with lemurs!”  
  
August winced.  
  
“Well, as long as you work here, you are going to listen to me.”  
  
“I didn’t ask to work here.”  
  
“Well, then what’s keeping ya?”  
  
“Nothing! I quit!”  
  
 _Well, crap._  
  
August motioned to one of the waitresses and ordered two hot cocoas to-go before throwing money down onto the table. He stood and moved over to the bar, trying to remember he was a grown man and not a little boy anymore.  
  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“  
  
“It’s not your fault, August. Ruby needs to learn to behave like an adult. She’ll come around, when she realizes the world isn’t as much fun as she thinks it is.”  
  
He reached out and squeezed her hand, eliciting a blush from the old woman, before he shrugged on his jacket and went to find his princess.


	42. Ruby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma goes to meet August for their date but Mary Margaret and Ruby interrupt her plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bless you all who have stuck this thing out, I re-read some earlier chapters and they weren’t my best work and…yes. Thanks to the wife for looking this over.

“Are you almost here?”  
  
Emma locked-up the station and double-checked the doors before heading down the street. Sure, it was chilly, but if they were going to be drinking, she didn’t need to be in the cruiser.  
  
“Impatient, are we?”  
  
She shoved her keys into her pocket and grabbed the phone off of her shoulder before switching it to her other ear.  
  
“Just a little,” she teased with a grin. “How about I meet you halfway? It’s a nice night out.”  
  
August chuckled.  
  
“Sure, thing, Princess. See you in a few.”  
  
“Bye.”  
  
Emma smiled and slipped her phone into her back pocket. As amused as she was with their flirting, the real reason she was ready to be holed away with him in the bar was to avoid dealing with Mary Margaret.  
  
Of course, Emma never did get what she wanted.  
  
“Is he okay? David?”  
  
Emma turned to find Mary Margaret running to catch up to her.  
  
“Oh, yeah. He’s a little shaken up, but he’s headed home. He’s fine.”  
  
She slowed down to allow Mary Margaret to walk with her.  
  
“Any word from Kathryn?”  
  
Emma exhaled.  
  
“Nothing new.”  
  
“Did you check with Boston again?”  
  
Emma felt bad for Mary Margaret, this had to be killing her, but Emma wasn’t going to sugarcoat things for her. This was a messed up situation and Mary Margaret needed to be prepared for the shit storm that was sure to come.  
  
“She’s not there, Mary Margaret.“  
  
“So, we have no idea what happened to her?“  
  
“All we know, is that she found out about you two, gave you a well-deserved slap, and then disappeared.“  
  
“Well-deserved? Do you really believe that?“  
  
Emma heard Mary Margaret’s footsteps falter and she paused in her tracks and turned to face her roommate, doing her best to mask the pity she felt for her.  
  
“No. I’m just preparing you for what everyone else is going to think. You two are going to look bad until we figure the truth out.”  
  
Mary Margaret gave Emma a confused gaze and Emma withheld a sigh. Was she seriously not getting this? Emma gave Mary Margaret a ‘look’ and after a moment, she caught on.  
  
“You mean David? Th-That people are going to think in order to… Be free with me…“  
  
“Some are. And, he’s not doing himself any favors. So, if there’s anything you could think of to pin down his whereabouts that night-“  
  
Emma began walking again and Mary Margaret moved to stay in pace with her.  
  
“He wasn’t with me. We really are through.“  
  
Emma found that a bit hard to believe but she didn’t have time to ponder it. As they approached the bus stop, they found Ruby being harassed by Dr. Pervert.  
  
“Dr. Whale?”  
  
“Mary Margaret. Emma. Hello there.”  
  
Emma and Mary Margaret exchanged looks before Emma sent a glare in Whale’s direction.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
“I was just having a talk with Ruby here. But, I should, um…”  
  
“Yeah. Yeah, you should,” Emma said, using her authoritative voice. She was having none of Whale’s shit, especially when it came to Ruby.  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
Emma watched as Whale left for his car and Mary Margaret turned her attention to Ruby.  
  
“Was he bothering you?  
  
“The day I can’t handle a lech is the day I leave town. Which this is, I guess.”  
  
Emma noticed Ruby’s bags for the first time.  
  
“You’re leaving?”  
  
“I had a fight with Granny. Quit my job.”  
  
“You quit? Where you going?”  
  
“I don’t know. Away.”  
  
Emma glanced up at the bus stop. She couldn’t recall every seeing a single bus come or go and she supposed Ruby had yet to fix her wrecked car or she’d be long gone.  
  
“Yeah, well, buses out of town don’t really happen. And, you might want a destination first.”  
  
Emma knew far too well one didn’t get far without a plan.  
  
“Hey, if you need a place to figure things out, you could always come home with us.”  
  
Emma sent Mary Margaret a ‘look’. Seriously, what were they, a halfway house? Mary Margaret sent her a stern ‘come on’ look and eventually Emma caved. She didn’t want to leave Ruby out on the streets.  
  
“Yeah, uh… Yeah. Just for a little while.”  
  
“Come on.”  
  
Mary Margaret led Ruby towards the apartment and Emma hung back with a groan. Great, how was she supposed to break the news to August without letting Ruby and Mary Margaret onto them?  
  
She reluctantly followed them and reached for her phone, trying to send a text as she went.  
  
“August, hey.”  
  
Emma glanced up from her phone to find August carrying two cups from Granny’s. He gave her a small, desperate look and Emma shrugged, mouthing an ‘I’m sorry’.  
  
“Ruby, hey, look about earli-“  
  
“It’s fine. Granny’s got a stick up her ass; it’s not a big deal.”  
  
Mary Margaret gave Ruby a questioning look before turning her attention to August.  
  
“We haven’t officially met, I’m-“  
  
“Mary Margaret, I’m guessing? I’d shake, but-“  
  
He lifted his cups.  
  
“I thought the Sheriff might need some fuel.”  
  
Emma finally caught up to the group as her friends exchanged glances before eying the pair, seeming to catch on.  
  
“Well, it was nice meeting you, August; I’ll let you get back to-whatever. Come on Ruby. Emma, you coming or-”  
  
She met August’s eyes and he gave her a small nod.  
  
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a second.”  
  
Emma waited until they were out of earshot before standing on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek.  
  
“I’m sorry, but Ruby-Can we reschedule for tomorrow? I promise you’ll have my undivided attention.”  
  
“Well, it’s kind of my fault you have a house guest. Granny didn’t like Ruby’s flirting.”  
  
Emma took one of the cups from his hand and pressed her lips to his cheek again.  
  
“I’ll talk to her about that.”  
  
“Oh?”  
  
She met his eyes and smirked, backing away from him.  
  
“The only person I want flirting with you is me.”  
  
She moved to join her friends but August caught her around the waist and pulled her back against him and brushed his lips over her neck. A jolt of electricity went through her and she held back a moan.  
  
“Tomorrow, Princess,” he whispered in her ear before releasing her.  
  
A blush went through her and she could feel his eyes on her as she walked away and it took every ounce of self-control she possessed not to glance back at him.


	43. Boyfriend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the girls spend the night teasing Emma, she and August put a label on their relationship.

“So, now I guess we know what August daydreams about,” Ruby teased, taking a mug of cocoa from Mary Margaret as she tucked her feet underneath her bottom.  
  
Emma rolled her eyes and plopped herself down in the armchair, still clutching the cup August had brought for her.  
  
“You should have seen her the other night, three sheets to the wind and all over-“  
  
“Hey! Is this rag on Emma, night? I personally want to know what my-what August had to do with you quitting your job.”  
  
Emma had almost said ‘boyfriend’ and she was thankful the cold air of the apartment already had her cheeks red so she could hide her blush. She averted her eyes from her friends and reached for a quilt, wishing she’d thrown on her flannel pajamas instead of the ones she was currently sporting.  
  
“Aww, Emma has a boyfriend,” Ruby teased as Mary Margaret joined her on the couch.  
  
“I know, isn’t it cute?”  
  
Ruby and Mary Margaret giggled at one another before Ruby started sing-songing.  
  
“They’re gonna make babies.”  
  
Emma flipped them the bird.  
  
“This is for both of you, just so you know.”  
  
Mary Margaret smirked and sipped her cocoa.  
  
“I think we’re making Emma grumpy.”  
  
“If I was getting on that man I wouldn-oh,” Ruby laughed. “They haven’t had sex yet!”  
  
Emma rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at them both before standing.  
  
“I have to go to bed; we’re sending a search party out for Kathryn in the morning.”  
  
Mary Margaret turned somber for a moment.  
  
“I have class in the morning.”  
  
“Oh, come on! Let’s have a girl’s night!”  
  
Emma leaned over the railing on the staircase.  
  
“Why don’t you come help me tomorrow? We’ll need someone to keep the volunteers supplied with coffee and you probably know the woods a lot better than I do. And then we’ll have lunch and we can do girly bonding some night this week when I’m not stuck at the station all night?”  
  
Ruby grinned.  
  
“I can do that.”  
  
“Night.”  
  
Emma finished making her way up the stairs to her room and immediately threw herself into bed where she huddled under the covers. She poked her head out and located her phone, grabbing it before burrowing herself under the covers like a badger.  
  
“Hey-“  
  
“August,” Emma whined into the phone, cutting him off as he answered. “They think we’re…you know…” Emma complained.  
  
She could picture the shit-eating grin he probably had on his face.  
  
“Damn, then I probably shouldn’t be downstairs getting ready to throw stones at your window, then; it might encourage their suspicions.”  
  
Emma rolled her eyes.  
  
“And why would you be doing that?”  
  
“So you can sneak me in and let me have my way with you.”  
  
She laughed.  
  
“Who do you think you are? My boyfriend?”  
  
“Maybe.”  
  
“Seriously?”  
  
“Why not? Henry’s already given us his blessing,” August teased. “But if you’re afraid of labels-“  
  
Emma huffed.  
  
“I am not afraid of-“ she shook her head and chuckled. “You’re good, but you’re not getting me that easily.”  
  
August cleared his throat.  
  
“We’ll see about that. So, what should I call you, then?”  
  
Emma hugged her pillow and rested her chin against it, pondering his words for a moment.  
  
“Fine, you can call me your girlfriend, but I’ll just call you my special gentleman friend until you prove yourself worthy of the ‘boyfriend’ title.”  
  
“Well, I guess I’m going to have to step up this whole courting business, then.”  
  
Emma snorted.  
  
“’Courting?’ What is this, medieval times?”  
  
August laughed.  
  
“Goodnight, Princess. Unless you really want me to sneak in through your window, I’m sure I could arrange-“  
  
“Goodnight, August,” Emma cut off with a shake of her head as she snapped her phone shut.  
  
With a small smile, she settled in for a long night of pleasant dreams.


	44. Slipping Down the Rabbit Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August tries to ward off a very drunk Emma’s sexual advances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for the reviews and love and you’re all brilliant. Hunks, my wife, many thanks for the beta, once again.

Emma trudged her way up the stairs to the loft. She was exhausted. Along with Ruby, she’d been up at the crack of dawn to assemble with the search party and she’d trekked along with them through the woods, finding nothing. Wherever Kathryn was, they weren’t going to find her easily. Another group of volunteers would go out tomorrow while she followed up on things at the station.  
  
Hopefully they wouldn’t have to go out for a third day, but some part of Emma suspected they wouldn’t find Kathryn alive, if ever.  
  
She pulled her phone out and sent August a quick message asking him to meet her at the loft when he wanted. She’d promised to be his tonight but she was in no mood to change and go out; she wanted her pajamas, a quilt, and bad science fiction movies. She didn’t think he’d mind; after all, Mary Margaret’s couch was tiny, chances were they’d end up cuddled together on it and if he was lucky, he wouldn’t have to wait until Friday for that kiss.  
  
Emma reached the loft but before she could turn the handle for the door she heard the unmistakable sound of sobbing coming from the other side.  
  
“Mary Margaret, please don’t cry. I’m sure everything’s going to be fine.”  
  
“Oh Ruby, I just want to…”  
  
Mary Margaret’s voice was drowned out by her sobbing and Emma stepped away from the door. She loved Mary Margaret and usually, she’d be right there in there with her. She wasn’t good with the comfort or the talking, but she could be there for her. But Emma knew she couldn’t do it, not tonight.  
  
Aside from the search party she’d had Regina riding her ass all day and she felt on edge. She was afraid she’d say something to make it worse for Mary Margaret, so…  
  
Emma went back down the stairs and dialed August’s number. The phone rang longer than usual and she let out a sigh.  
  
“Come on, August, pick up.”  
  
Emma groaned when his voicemail picked up and she pushed her way back out of the building.  
  
“August, it’s me. Change of plans, my place is too crowded. I was going to suggest going up to your room with a bottle of Whiskey but if you’re not there…call me when you get this. Bye.”  
  
She didn’t want to go to Granny’s and deal with people. She didn’t want to be the pathetic girl who showed up at August’s door uninvited either. And she really could use a drink. With a small sigh she headed in the direction of The Rabbit Hole.  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August had completely lost track of time. He’d spent his morning helping Emma by joining the search party and after convincing her to eat a quick lunch, had retired to his room, unable to keep going on his damn leg. Needing to pass the time until he had her all to himself he began writing and finally found his groove again.

He was so in the zone he’d missed her texts and calls and what finally brought him back to earth was the lack of light in the room.

Realizing it was now completely dark outside; he flipped the overhead light on, the small desk lamp no longer sufficient for him. He stretched in his chair and reached for his phone, cursing when he saw he had missed Emma’s call.

He dialed her number and stood, walking off a cramp in his leg.

“Come on, Princess, pick-“

“Yello?”

August stopped in his tracks, concerned.

“Emma?”

“Hmmm, shhh, it’s my boyfriend.” She slurred to someone in the background. “Mister Wayne...” Emma giggled. “You’re Batman. I’m going to fuck Batman,” she giggled.

Good God, she was completely wasted. He grabbed his coat and helmet quickly, wanting to get to her before some asshole took advantage or her or someone pissed her off and she punched them.

“Where are you?”

“I went down the rabbit hole, like Alice,” she teased. “Do you think that’s in Henry’s fucking book?”

August rolled his eyes and rushed down the stairs.

“Don’t go anywhere; I’m coming to get you. Can you do that?”

“I want to sit on your face. Are you going to take me home so I can finally have my way with you?”

He shook his head and cursed whatever bartender had thought it was a good idea to allow her to get that drunk.

“Princess, I’m coming for you. I’ll be there soon.”  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma threw her phone down and ran her hand through her hair. It was really hot in this damn bar. She’d already shed her coat, badge, and sweater leaving her in jeans and black spaghetti-strap top. She motioned for another drink and when she got it took a long swig from it.

She felt antsy, she needed something to do. Usually she’d busy herself with fixing something in the apartment or with a warm body on the dance floor, but without her stubble-haired man to occupy her, she tapped her foot impatiently.

Emma felt eyes on her and she gazed across the bar towards who she assumed was the owner. She was pretty thrashed at this point, so he was blurry, but she liked what she saw so far. Maybe she didn’t need Batman to come pleasure her.

She hopped down from her stool, intent on seducing someone, and missed a step. Instead of falling, she hit a hard body. A very sexy body.

“Hello, lover. What took you so long?”

Emma pulled August down for a kiss but he caught her wrists and pulled away, his eyes showing his disapproval.

“Princess, let’s get you home.”

Emma whined and pulled him against her.

“I don’t want to go home. I want to dance. I haven’t danced in months. Please dance with me.”

She swayed in his arms and he sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“Come on, let’s…sit for a minute and then we can dance, okay? One dance and then we go home.”

Emma smirked and went to kiss him, but missed and sloppily kissed his cheek instead.

“Mmmkay, whatever you say Mister Wayne.”  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August tried not to let his irritation show. It killed him to see Emma like this. He’d been drunk for years and he knew when a person was this far gone, it was because they were hurting. There was a difference between drinking for fun and drinking to numb pain and Emma was drinking because she was stressed over this case.

He was just glad he was the one here with her and not someone else.

August led her to one of the booths and gently helped her onto her seat. He set her things to the side and brushed some hair out of her head before placing a kiss on her forehead.

“I’m going to get us some waters, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Emma gave him a small nod as she reached for his belt buckle. August managed to squirm away from her and headed for the bar, sighing.

“She looks a bit done,” the guy behind the bar commented.

August glanced back towards his princess who was now toying with her badge and giggling. He sighed and turned back to the rakish barkeep.

“Yeah. Is her tab paid up?”

“Yes. Can I get you anything?”

“Two waters, please.”

August watched the man, getting a weird vibe off of him. He didn’t know what it was, but something screamed to him that there was something not right about the man. Just more reason to get Emma out of here as soon as possible.

He noticed another bartender down the bar and realized the man was the owner from the way he started barking orders to her. When he returned with the waters, August thanked him.

“Uh oh, buddy, I think you’d better get back to your girl.”

He motioned towards the tables and August turned to check on her.

“Fuck,” he muttered.  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
His belt buckle was entrancing. She’d never really taken notice of it before, the cold weather usually kept them both in coats, but now that he was without his leather jacket she could see it perfectly. Well, as perfectly as one in her state could see anything.

Aside from the sexy way August wore the belt buckle, the blue stone in the middle caught her attention. She began to imagine herself slowly removing it with her teeth while her hands rolled over that arousing pelvis of his.

She bit her lip and let out a small moan as a very explicit sexually fantasy involving that belt buckle began playing through her mind like an old movie.

“Emma, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here before. Are the girls with you?”

She pouted, realizing there was now a body blocking her view of August sexy hips and that ass. She looked up, annoyed, and became even more so when she realized Whale was the one talking to her.

“Why, do you want to try and perv on Ruby some more?”

She tried to look past him, towards August and Whale seemed to catch on before he turned to look and they both watched as an angry looking August stormed over to the table.

Emma smirked.

Her own White Knight.  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
August hadn’t been in town long and he’d had no reason to ever speak to the good ol’ Doctor, but it was a small town and August knew all about Whale’s predatory ways with women. He had every intention of keeping Emma safe, but some part of him also raged at the idea of any man touching Emma.

Jealousy could be a real bitch and August suddenly found himself dealing with the green-eyed monster.

“Here you go, Princess,” August pushed set both glasses down and slid them across the table to her.

Emma had a goofy grin plastered on her face as she very drunkenly reached for her glass.

“You better go, Whale, my boyfriend does not like it when men hit on me. Or Ruby. Especially men who have had sex with my Mary Margaret.”

Whale sent Emma strange look and shook his head.

“I was just saying ‘hello’, I didn’t realize she was so-“

“Well, she is. I was planning on getting her home, so I should really-“ August motioned towards Emma and Whale seemed to take the hint.

“Um…right. Well, goodnight, then…”

August watched Whale head towards a table of college-aged girls and let out a breath he’d been holding in. He hated guys like Whale, who only thought women were good for one thing.

“You’re really sexy when you’re mad.” Emma reached for him and he let her pull him into the booth.

August reached for his water and sipped at it slowly before pushing it towards her, needing her to drink it and sober up a bit. He’d never get her home on his bike in this condition. If she didn’t sober up soon, he’d have to carry her home.

“I’m not mad.”

Emma smirked and climbed into his lap. One arm went around his neck and the other moved down to toy with his belt buckle. August was no teenager, but any man’s reaction to a woman as sexy as Emma pawing at him would be to let out a groan of approval.

“Emma-“

“You looked ready to kill him. Is it because you thought I’d go home with him? You know, I thought about talking to that sexy guy over there, the one staring at us, but I decided to wait for you.”

August turned to find the bar owner leaning against the stock room, watching them. His green-eyed jealousy monster flared. If he’d gotten here a few minutes later for all he knew, the creep would have been all over his girlfriend. He didn’t like the idea of her being his possession, but right now, he didn’t care.

“Yeah, well, no one’s touching you but me, Princess. You’re my girlfriend, remember?”

Emma smirked and moved her lips to his neck.

“That’s right baby, I’m all yours.”  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma kissed her way up his neck, smirking when he let out a small moan and gripped her hips. Her plan was working like a charm. Men were all the same, get them jealous, make them feel like they had something to prove, and they were suddenly all yours.  
  
She was drunk and in need of a good dicking and she couldn’t wait for him to court her and all of that bullshit. She wanted him and she wanted him now.  
  
Emma traced his belt buckle, familiarizing herself with the intricate design. When she had enough of teasing him, she pushed herself off of him and took his hands.  
  
“Come on, you promised me a dance.”  
  
August began to protest but she gave him a big pout and he sighed.  
  
“All right, one dance, but then I’m taking you home, okay?”  
  
She smiled, appreciating his gentlemanly nature, even in her condition.  
  
“Uh huh. Then we go home.”  
  
Where she’d make him forget his own name; that is, if she didn’t do it on the dance floor first.  
  
Once they reached the floor, Emma slid in front of him and immediately pulled his hands down to her waist. She rocked her hips to the beat of the song while grinding her ass against him. Emma reached around to pull his head down to her neck as the song slowed down.  
  
She moved against him at a slow, torturous pace, and felt a smug satisfaction when his hands began to slowly roam over her body.  


~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

  
Emma was intent on killing him. He was sure of it. He’d ignored her earlier advances because he’d forgotten himself in his moment of jealousy, but now he couldn’t help but fall for her clever trap.

He tried to tell himself that he’d get her home and put to bed safely but he soon found himself pulling her flush against him while his hands explored her sides. He buried his face in her neck and slowly rocked against her, groaning when she brushed across the growing bulge in his jeans.

August affectionately nipped at her neck before trailing his lips over her smooth skin. Emma let out an appreciative sigh and he began placing small kisses along her shoulder. He had a perfect view of her tits from this angle and before he could stop himself he slowly moved his hands up her front, ready to give in to anything she asked of him.

Emma spun around and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Their lips stayed a mere breath away from one another and he moved to break the distance between them. Just as his lips began to brush across hers, Emma stumbled on her feet and he immediately felt himself be pulled back to reality.

What in the Hell was he doing? Emma was drunk and falling over herself and he was feeling her up and trying to kiss her?

August stepped away from her and helped her steady herself. Emma let out a small whine and he pulled her against him again, deciding there was only one way he was getting her to agree to come home with him.

“What do you say we get out of here?” He asked, not needing to turn on his seduction voice. He was still plenty aroused from their dance and if she was sober, it would be on.

Emma smirked and reached for his belt.

“I thought you’d never ask.”


	45. I Write Sins Not Tragedies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August refutes more of Emma’s advances back at the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adore you all. Sorry this took so long especially since the last chapter ended on to be continued, but here is a very lengthy chapter for you all and expect another chapter by tomorrow, so enjoy! Also, I love drunk!Emma more than anything.

Ironically, getting Emma back _into_ her clothes and out of the bar had been the easy part. The hard part had been trying to get her home. For someone who kept insisting that she wanted to ‘fuck him until he couldn’t see’ she was being a real pain about getting home. He knew better than to think he could drive her home, she was too far gone for that. He tried holding her hand to guide her back home but she kept using it as an excuse to try and kiss him. So instead he wrapped an arm around her so her head would be tucked against his body while he walked them home, but then her hands kept finding their way to his ass, pawing at him.

She was incorrigible.

He didn’t want to take advantage of her and at this point he was far past being a gentleman. Tomorrow, when she was sober and hung-over, he was going to torment her with reminders of her behavior just to get her back for the way she was treating and talking to him like he was nothing more than a piece of man meat in front of all of the townspeople that they kept passing on the street.

“August, come on, let’s just do it here,” Emma whined, wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging him towards her.

He sighed and backed her up against the wall, wondering if he should just throw her over his shoulder. Though, that would just give her more access to his-

“Okay!” He cried out as she grabbed the front of his jeans. No man could help his body’s natural reaction to such attention so she, and the fact that he could now see her building, made his decision for him. “Come on Princess,” he groaned as he picked her up. She let out a small giggle and he decided to just carry her in his arms the rest of the way.

He was grateful that this was Storybrooke so the entrance to the building wasn’t locked. He carried her up the two flights of stairs to her apartment and set her down carefully, not wanting her to break something because she was too drunk to stand properly.

“Where are your keys?”

Emma went for his lips again and he headed her off, reaching into the pocket of her jacket where he found her keys. She used his moment of distraction to pin him against the wall.

“Stop trying to get away from me, Batman, no one’s going to catch us out here,” she mumbled, kissing his neck. August ducked away once he had the right key and quickly opened the door. He tossed the keys on the dining table and pulled her inside before closing the door.

He sighed in relief, glad to finally have her home. Now all he had to do was get her into bed where she would hopefully fall asleep.

But Emma had other ideas.

She stealth-attacked him from behind and pressed her body against his while running her hands up his chest. Her lips went for his neck again.

“You have the world’s sexiest neck, do you know that? How is a woman supposed to get anything done with that thing always taunting her? And that chest…I think you like to wear your shirts open on purpose, to make sure I want to see more,” she whispered into his ear as she slowly unzipped his jacket and moved her tiny hands, still cold from night air, underneath his shirt. She grazed her nails over his skin as her fingers explored his chest hair.

Good God, why did he have to be drunk? August wanted nothing more than to turn around, throw her on top of Mary Margaret’s table, and fuck her until his name was the only thing she could remember. But she was drunk and he would never take advantage of her in such a condition. Aside from not wanting to risk her hating him later, it wasn’t his style.

He was a real man; he didn’t need to get a woman drunk first in order to get her into his bed.

“You’re pretty tempting yourself, Princess,” he replied, taking her hands and spinning around to face him. “How about we get you upstairs and into bed?”

Emma reached down and took him by the belt buckle, dragging him towards the couch.

“I have a better idea.”

August attempted to break away from her but his damn leg chose that exact moment to act up on him and she got the upper hand. Emma pushed him onto the couch and quickly climbed on top of him. She straddled him around the hips and used her legs to keep him in place while her hands pinned his wrists.

“The bedroom’s all the way upstairs, this is closer. Now…where was I?” She took a moment to remember, still too drunk to be consenting to anything. “Oh yes, that sexy neck and chest, how could I forget?”

Emma pressed her mouth to a spot behind his ear and trailed her tongue down over his neck and chest as her fingers locked through his.

“Emma, we really shouldn’t-“ he began, knowing that if she kept this up he’d spend the night suffering with blue balls. His cock was slowly getting hard, despite his brain screaming at it to stop.

“I am the Sheriff and I command you to sit back and obey me,” she whispered, suckling on his pulse point.

He was grateful she didn’t make a ‘you have the right to remain sexy’ comment or he’d never be able to look at her with a straight face again.

Emma slipped their joined hands up her thigh and popped open her jeans before pushing his hand into her panties. She moved her lips to his ear and nibbled on the lobe before speaking.

“I want you to feel how wet I am.”

August quickly pulled his hand away, wishing Mary Margaret was home to help him control Emma.

“Emma you should stop-“

“You’re right; it’s too soon for that.”

_Finally_ , he thought, closing his eyes. Maybe she was finally soberin-

Her deft fingers went for his belt buckle and as inebriated as she was she managed to get it open and pull his belt off in one swift motion. She went for the zipper and August finally snapped, having enough of her sexual advances. He grabbed both of her wrists and flipped their bodies so that he had her pinned down to the couch.

He held her wrists over her head and used his legs to hold her in place and he lowered his head down to hers. He pressed his nose to hers and met her eyes.

“I’m only going to say this once, so I want you to pay attention,” he said in a throaty whisper that sounded more like a growl to his ears. “When I finally have you, and trust me, Emma, I’m going to have you in every way possible, I’m going to ruin you for other men and I want you to be sober so you can have every moment engraved into your memory. Do you understand?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

She really wished he’d stop trying to be chivalrous and fuck her already. Sure, she was drunk, but it was slowly wearing off, and she’d meant every word she’d said to him about how she wanted him. Her mind felt a bit fuzzy and some other part of her brain was screaming at her to stop because she was embarrassing herself but the loud, present part of her mind was giving the other part the finger.

Emma stared up at him, feeling heat pooling from her stomach to the drenched area between her legs. If he decided to throw caution to the wind and have his way with her right now she was more than ready for him. Hell, she’d been ready since the night she met him on the street.

She did her best not to writhe against him, enjoying his weight pressing down on her far more than she would if she had her sober walls up.

“I’m only going to say this once, so I want you to pay attention,” he growled, sending a shiver up her spine. If she hadn’t been completely wet and willing earlier, she would be now. “When I finally have you, and trust me, Emma, I’m going to have you in every way possible, I’m going to ruin you for other men and I want you to be sober so you can have every moment engraved into your memory. Do you understand?”

Holy fuck, if he was trying to get her to back off, he was doing a really shitty job of it. Instead of making her anticipate having him at a later date, she wanted him even more. Emma pressed her body against his and leaned up, keeping her eyes on his.

“I don’t want to hear about how you’re going to fuck me, August, I just want you to do it already,” she hissed before leaning up to finally claim his lips, sick of playing games with him.

“Emma, are you-“

Mary Margaret’s voice broke through their moment and August jumped off of her and pressed himself against the other side of the couch. Emma could see the bulge of his erection and she cursed her friends, knowing that if she could finally kiss him, he’d be hers.

“Are we interrupting?” Ruby purred, glancing in August’s direction.

“No,” August said flatly as Emma glared at him and said ‘yes’ in a snappy tone.

“Emma’s had too much drink and I’m trying to get her to go to bed.” August clarified and glanced over to the two women, mouthing ‘help me’ in their direction.

Mary Margaret and Ruby exchanged glances but Emma chose to ignore them. If he wanted to take her to bed so badly, fine, he could take her to bed and proceed to fuck the tension out of her body. Emma climbed back into his lap and went for his shirt.

“You two enjoy your ice cream,” Emma said, noticing their bags. “I’ll be taking my desert upstairs. Don’t mind us.”

Emma could tell from the amused looks on their faces that they would not be helping August and she felt a smug sense of winning.

“Well, if you insist?” Mary Margaret asked, setting their grocery bags down.

Ruby grinned and shrugged off her coat.

“Maybe we should make Emma a bowl. I bet there are certain parts of his body that would taste better with a little cream.”

“Ruby,” Mary Margaret hissed with a blush before hustling off for the bowls, using the cabinet to hide the red tinge to her cheeks.

Ruby rolled her eyes and winked in Emma’s direction before busying herself in the kitchen.

“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea,” Emma muttered against August’s skin as she began trailing her lips over his neck. She pressed her pelvis against his bulge and she reached for his discarded belt, wondering how easy it would be to tie him up with it.

She moved her lips back to his ear, forgetting all about her friends in the next room.

“I know you want me, August. I can feel how much. So how about you stop with the bullshit and you let me do something about it? We don’t even have to go all the way, you just let me do one thing to you and then I promise I’ll be a good girl.”

August groaned.

“Fine, I’ll kiss you. Will that make you happy?”

Emma pulled away to look at him and gave him a wicked grin.

“Actually, I had something else in mind…”

Her fingers moved to pop open his jeans and she slid down his body onto her knees and began to take off his pants. If he didn’t want to fuck her, fine, but she was getting something from him tonight.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August cursed Ruby to the deepest pit of Hell. When Mary Margaret walked into the apartment, August thought he’d finally have some peace from the drunk Emma monster. But no, Ruby threw that all to Hell, encouraging Emma to keep on with the groping and grinding and torturing his poor dick.

He’d find a way to get her back for this.

He let out a groan as Emma started dry humping him and he was desperate to get her to stop before he exploded.

“I know you want me, August.” Oh really? What was her first clue? Could it be his throbbing erection that was currently digging into her thigh? “I can feel how much. So how about you stop with the bullshit and you let me do something about it? We don’t even have to go all the way, you just let me do one thing to you and then I promise I’ll be a good girl.”

He considered her offer for a moment. He supposed he could kiss her. If he got her into bed and just kissed her until she fell asleep she couldn’t be angry in the morning, right? And it would get her to stop trying to pull his dick out, hopefully.

“Fine, I’ll kiss you. Will that make you happy?”

But that apparently was not good enough for her. As Emma dropped to her knees August let out a loud, desperate cry for help and threw his hands up.

“Jesus Christ, will one of you get her off of me?”

Mary Margaret, the sane one of the group, stepped in and grabbed Emma. Emma fought her, whining that Mary Margaret needed to ‘leave her alone’, but Mary Margaret eventually got her to her feet. She took Emma’s face in her hands and started using the voice she used when one of her schoolchildren was being naughty.

“Emma, you leave the nice man and his penis alone.”

“But I don’t want to,” Emma whined.

“Can you blame her?”

August turned to Ruby who was licking her ice cream spoon provocatively. Suddenly, facing Emma all over his junk again seemed less scary than facing a sober Ruby on the prowl.

“Hey, back off bitch, he’s mine. Right, baby?”

Emma threw her arms around him and gave him a pout, seeming to suddenly care more about marking her territory than about sex.

August gave her a fond smile, finding her bottom lip sticking out into a pout to be one of the cutest things he’d ever seen. He placed a small kiss on the tip of her nose and hoisted her back into his arms.

“That’s right, Princess. Are you ready for bed yet?”

Emma shook her head but a large yawn gave her away.

“Okay, maybe a short nap,” she conceded.

Mary Margaret made a face as she eyed the old steel staircase.

“Maybe we should let her sleep it off down here. I’d hate for her to get up in the middle of the night and take a tumble.”

August looked up to Emma’s ‘room’, which was really just a big open space at the top of the stairs, overlooking the rest of the loft. He decided that it probably was not the best place to deposit someone who was three sheets to the wind.

“Good idea.”

“I need jammies,” Emma announced, kicking off her boots before wrestling her way out of August’s arms. She shrugged off her jacket and stumbled. August caught her and she smirked, placing a sloppy kiss to his cheek before humming happily to herself as she moved towards the kitchen.

“I’ll get you some,” Mary Margaret said, shaking her head in disapproval as she made her way to the staircase. She returned a moment later with a stack of Emma’s clothes and her jaw dropped as she stared over August’s shoulder.

August turned slowly and immediately averted his gaze.

“Emma!” He and Mary Margaret chided together. She’d used the time Mary Margaret was upstairs to strip off all of her clothes, save her underthings, and deposit them on different pieces of furniture. She stood near Mary Margaret’s craft table with a bowl of ice cream.

“What?” She asked, too drunk to care.

“Ruby!” Mary Margaret scolded. “You couldn’t warn the poor man?” She shot Ruby a glare as she helped Emma into her pajamas.

Ruby shook her head with a chuckle.

“Nope.”

It was far past time for him to leave. He grabbed his belt and jacket, which he shrugged on.

“I should go.”

“NO!” Emma protested, flinging her arms around him again. “Stay with me, I swear I’ll be good. We can just watch t.v.,” she promised.

August was sure she was lying but when she gave him a pout and battered her eyes at him he found himself unable to tell her ‘no’. Plus, she could have made a ‘or you can spank me comment’, which probably meant the booze was wearing off.

“Fine,” he replied with a resigned sigh a moment later.

Emma gave him a happy smile and grabbed a quilt from the armchair. August tossed his jacket off as Emma pulled him onto the sofa with her. She curled herself up in his lap with the quilt and rested her head on his shoulder. Deciding that maybe she was done molesting him, he wrapped his arms around her as she flipped through the channels, settling on one of those bad late-night talk shows.

“Is she always like that?” Ruby asked as she and Mary Margaret cleared away their mess.

“Yes. Though, I suppose I should be glad she decided to abuse August instead of my poor toaster.”

Ruby and August both set their gaze on Emma who shrugged.

“It still works,” she replied. “Sometimes,” she added a moment later.

August shook his head and kissed the top of hers as the girls joined them for their t.v. watching. Ruby eventually tired of making sexual cracks at the pair and Mary Margaret found an old black and white movie for them to watch.

“I should have taken you up on that kiss offer,” Emma whispered into his ear halfway in. “I bet we’d still be upstairs doing that instead of watching Mary Margaret try not to cry during this piece of crap,” she teased so only he could hear her.

August gazed down at her and she gave him a small smile before kissing his cheek and cuddling up against him with her head resting in the crook of his neck.

There was his girl, sobered up and adorable.

He tightened his hold on her and she fell asleep minutes later. With Emma out, he struck up a conversation with Mary Margaret about her class and the talk turned to Henry and then to what Ruby could do now that she wasn’t working at the diner. The talk was trivial, but he felt himself bonding with the girls. So much of his time since coming to town had been focused on Emma and it felt nice to get to know the people close to her.

“All right, I have class in the morning, we should get to bed. Are you okay with her?”

August stroked Emma’s hair and nodded.

“Yeah, I’ve slept in worse places than a comfortable sofa,” he teased.

Mary Margaret shook her head.

“You sound like Emma. Come on Ruby, you can share the bed with me tonight.”

Ruby gave him a smirk and followed Mary Margaret.

“I guess we’ll leave you two to it then,” she teased. As they disappeared August looked down to find Emma’s beautiful hazel eyes staring up at him.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he whispered, pushing a chunk of her hair out from her face and tucking it behind her ear. “How do you feel?”

Emma stifled a yawn.

“Sleepy,” she whispered, confusion lining her face. “Did I try to take your clothes off?”

August kissed the top of her head, trying to hide his amusement. He could embarrass her with her drunken behavior, not now when she was clearly too tired to think straight.

“Nah, you must have been dreaming about me. Let’s lie down, you can go back to sleep.”

Emma shook her head.

“Will you take me upstairs? I hate sleeping on this damn couch.”

She closed her eyes as she spoke and he was sure she’d be out before he even got her into bed.

“Anything you want, Princess.” He carefully lifted her into his arms and shut off the t.v. and lights, leaving one lamp on to light his way as he ascended up the stairs. He gently set her in her bed and made sure she was comfortable before kicking off his shoes.

“You’re staying? Good. I want you to,” Emma mumbled, hugging her pillow.

August stripped down to his boxers and undershirt and climbed into bed with her. Emma moved to his side and wrapped her arms around him, using his chest as a pillow.

“What kind of man would I be if I left you to fall to your death down those stairs?”

Emma smirked and placed a kiss on his chest.

“Don’t ever leave,” she mumbled as she fell back asleep.

August pulled the covers over their bodies and held her close, watching her sleep.

“Never, Princess.”


	46. His Best Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and August grow closer as she tells him about her past with Henry’s father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe the Captain promised you all another chapter and she has delivered. Many thanks to our Quartermaster for being my Guiana pig. Enjoy the feels!

August woke in a sweat and sat up to peel his shirt off, forgetting that he wasn’t in his room at Granny’s. The air in the room was stuffy and he wasn’t used to sleeping with so many layers on. He ran a hand through his hair as he kicked off the covers. He blinked himself awake before looking around the room and remembering that he was in bed with Emma. He lay back down and moved to pull her against him only to find her side of the bed empty.

He remembered Mary Margaret’s comment about a drunk Emma falling down the stairs and he shot up as fear coursed through him. 

“Emma?” He called out in a broken voice.

Sure, she had been sobering up when she fell asleep, but she’d still had far too many drinks to be walking around in the dark, especially with that death trap of a staircase. He pushed himself out of her bed as she appeared at the top of the staircase. He sighed in relief and pulled her against his chest, running his fingers through her hair.

“You’re okay.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I was afraid you got up and fell down the stairs or something,” he replied sheepishly.

Emma chuckled. 

“I admit I was pretty shitfaced, but that wasn’t the first time and I’m still alive,” she teased, nuzzling his bare chest. August ran his hands over her back before pulling away. It was taking all of his willpower not to kiss her. With their state of undress and her bed inches away, he knew one kiss would get out of control. It was stupid, but he really wanted to do things right by her. He’d already failed her enough for one lifetime and he wanted to do his best to make it up to her.

“Where’d you go?” He asked, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

She shrugged and moved into bed with him where he leaned against the headboard while she rested her head against his chest. August wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

“I drank half the bar, I had to pee. Did I wake you up?”

“No, I’m just not used to sleeping with clothes on,” he admitted reluctantly. It was the truth but he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. 

“Well, if you have to get naked to be more comfortable-“ She began but he pinched her to stop and she giggled. She pinched him back and he responded by pinching her side which caused her to giggle. Before he knew what was happening he was on top of her with her squirming underneath him as they both tickled the other while laughing, each both determined to out tickle the other.

“Stop! I’m going to pee again if you don’t!” Emma warned and he stopped but kept hold of her hands in case she got any ideas. She caught her breath, still laughing as he loomed over her, grinning.

“You started it, Princess.”

“I did not,” she pouted as she leaned into the mattress and gazed up at him. August played with a strand of her hair as they both seemed to realize the position they were in.

Emma licked her lips and cleared her throat.

“You know, we don’t have to wait until Friday,” she whispered, sounding unsure of herself. 

August sat up slowly before gently pulling her into his lap. He took her hand and slowly lifted it to his lips, pressing a small kiss to her knuckles. 

“We both know what would happen if I kissed you right now. I know you think you don’t care but you…I want to do this all right with you, Emma. I want our first date and kiss to be perfect and I don’t want to jump into bed with you. You deserve better than that. You’re worth…a million of me.” He sighed. Some writer he was. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded like crap to his ears. “You’re special to me and I don’t want to screw any of this up. I have a feeling that most of the guy’s you been with haven’t bothered to date you properly and I want to be the first.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma found his bumbling confession to be extremely adorable. Almost as adorable as his fear that she’d hurt herself. As much as she wanted to lean in and kiss him and let things go too far she was secretly glad he’d rebuffed her advances. She felt safe with him, a feeling that would be gone the moment they became intimate. It was Emma’s natural instinct to run at the first sign of having real feelings for someone and she was always convinced that men wanted her for nothing but sex because that had been her experience with them up until now.

She took his face in her hands and leaned up to place a lingering kiss on his cheek.

“I’m not good with this...relationships,” she confessed. “I’m going to fight you every step of the way,” she warned. She didn’t want to push him away to the point that he gave up so he had to have some sort of warning. The care in which he treated her tonight afforded him that courtesy. 

“I suspected as much,” he whispered.

She nodded and wrapped her arms around him again as he laid back and pulled the covers over their bodies. His arms were secure and really did make her feel safe. She was pretty good at taking care of herself but the idea of having someone to watch her back was comforting.

Emma stared up at the ceiling for a moment before speaking again.

“They weren’t all bad, you know. I mean…there was one...he wasn’t Prince Charming either, but he was…different,” she clarified. 

August took a long moment to answer and she could tell he was struggling with his words again.

“Was that Graham?”

Emma looked up at him, not surprised he knew. It was impossible to keep a secret in this damn town. 

“Let me guess, Ruby?”

He smiled. 

“No, Granny.”

Emma nodded.

“Of course.”

August ran his hand over her arms and watched her.

“Do you want to talk about him?”

She shrugged. 

“Nothing to talk about. He…he was the first person I allowed myself to really care about but he was with Regina and…” she sighed. “By the time I realized we could have something he died. We never really got the chance,” she mused, knowing what she had felt for Graham had been real but not real enough to keep dwelling on him. She’d made a decision to move on and here she was, in the arms of who was admittedly the best man she’d ever met. Not that she’d tell him that, of course.

“Does that mean I have him to thank for you giving me a chance?”

Emma bit her tongue. How did he know her so well? Thinking about what that could mean scared her. 

“Maybe.”

She averted his gaze and rested her head against his chest once more.

“Can I ask you something?”

Emma traced the outline of one of his abs.

“Sure.”

“What happened with Henry? I mean…you love the kid…I just…what made you give him up? I’m sorry, was that too personal?”

“August, I had my hand on your dick; I think we’re past being strangers.”

August scoffed as she pondered his question for a moment before finally deciding to tell him the truth.

“Henry’s dad was a deadbeat. He was twenty-four and I was seventeen and I didn’t know any better. He should have but all he saw was a stupid girl who did anything he asked of her. Before I met him he was involved in some heist and he convinced me that we would run away together and then he set me up to take the fall for him. 

I don’t know why I was surprised. He…aside from breaking the law by sleeping with me he liked to drink and…I was better off without him. 

Anyway…

So there I was. Not even eighteen, with a baby on the way, and I had to make a decision. My parents abandoned me on the side of a freeway; I didn’t know what having a family was like. But I did know that he deserved better than anything I could give him. It was bad enough he was going to be born in a detention center, he didn’t need to be thrown into the system until I was released. And then…I had no family, no money, no job, it was too much to put him through.

I gave up Henry because I wanted to give him his best shot. And when I came to town and I saw he that didn't have it, I couldn't leave. I hated myself because I kept thinking that maybe I was wrong to give him up. And then…I got to know him and I just…I can’t leave him. Not again. I was so scared sticking around but…I’m more scared that I’ll never really be with him. It’s torture not having him with me. But I made a decision ten years ago and now all I can do is try to see him when I can and make sure she isn’t doing anything to hurt him.”

Emma didn’t realize she’d started crying until she tasted salty tears on her lips. She wiped at her eyes, embarrassed, but August didn’t seem to mind. He lifted her chin and brushed his thumb over her cheek, wiping at her tears. He watched her for a moment before lowering his mouth to hers and lightly touching his lips to hers.

Her breath caught in her throat as he pressed his forehead to hers and traced her jawline.

“That one doesn’t count,” he whispered, fighting a smile. 

Emma bit her lip and nodded, thinking that was not only the best kiss she’d ever had but the perfect first kiss, but she wouldn’t argue with him. She’d behave for the next two days and give him his ‘perfect date and first kiss’ on Friday.

He lifted her hands to his lips and watched her as he slowly kissed each knuckle. She tried to control the pounding in her chest as she eyed his lips, wishing it was their date night already.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The guilt he felt before was nothing compared to the guilt he felt now. Not only had Emma grown up alone, in the system, where most kids like them ended up abused, but Henry’s father had been a piece of shit who had used her and taken advantage of her. In his mind, any grown man who preyed on a girl that age was essentially raping her and if he ever met Henry’s father, he’d kill him.

It broke his heart to see her cry. He knew, in that moment, that he was falling in love with her. It was wrong and he should just stop their relationship before it went too far, but he wasn’t known for being selfless and even if he tried he couldn’t stay away from her, she was a part of him now.

When he leaned down to brush his lips over hers it was completely out of his control. He wanted to comfort her and it was the only way he could think of to do it without saying something stupid.

“That one doesn’t count,” he told her, figuring if he could hold her off just two more days, he could still court her properly. And a kiss that brief wasn’t allowed to count as a first kiss, right?

He held her hands to his lips, trying to think of something to say that wasn’t ‘I failed you and this is all my fault’. She was nowhere near trusting him enough to believe his story yet, but soon, hopefully. And if they could break the curse, maybe they could all be together; himself, Emma, and Henry.

“I’m sorry,” he said finally.

Emma gazed up at him with that adorable doe-like expression of hers that melted his heart. 

“For what?”

“That you had to go through all of that. Someone should have been there for you. You…Emma you deserved better.”

She smiled and kissed his hand before taking it in hers.

“August, there’s no use in dwelling on it now. What’s done is done all any of us can do is move forward.”

He smiled and rested his head against hers as he trailed his fingers over her arm. He stopped when he reached her bracelet and smirked. 

“Emma…is that my bracelet?”

She looked down and stared for a moment before her cheeks turned bright red.

“Oh…yeah…I kind of stole it the last time I was drunk and making inappropriate sexual advances towards you. You know, you really should stay away when I’m drunk.”

“And let some asshole take advantage of you? I’ll deal.”

She smiled and toyed with the black bracelet.

“Do you want it back?”

August pressed his lips to her forehead and pulled her back against him. 

“No, you keep it. It looks better on you anyway.”

“If you insist,” she said through a yawn and he held her tighter.

“We should sleep; you have a missing person to find.”

Emma nodded.

“M’kay,” she whispered, closing her eyes. 

August held her against him until he could hear the steady rise and fall of her chest indicating she was finally asleep. Once he was sure she was out he allowed himself to close his eyes and fall asleep himself, vowing he’d make sure the rest of her life made up for the shitfest it had been for the first twenty-eight years.


	47. Relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After sharing another adorable moment with August in the morning, Emma finally has that alone time she’s been craving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys rock. I wouldn’t be writing if it weren’t for you.

Emma rolled over and reached for August’s side of the bed before letting out a small whine of protest. The spot next to her was not only empty but cold as well, meaning it had been empty for some time. She let out a sigh and pulled her covers up over her head, cursing the sun for interrupting her slumber. The pounding in her head reminded her that she’d had too much to drink last night so she cursed herself as well.

As much as she wanted to go back to sleep the ache in her chest wouldn’t allow it. He’d left. They hadn’t even had sex and he’d pulled the morning sneak-out. Emma wished he didn’t affect her the way he did, it would make her life much easier, but he made her feel things that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

The problem with letting people in was that it gave them permission to hurt you.

“Fuck,” she grumbled, pushing her covers off. She sat up and leaned against the headboard while fixing her ponytail. She started thinking about all of the ways she was going to chew him out when his stupidly adorable face popped up from the staircase.

“Morning, sunshine.”

Damn him. A minute ago she’d been ready to yell at him and now she was grinning like a fool.

“I thought you’d left.” She hoped he couldn’t hear the relief in her voice; she didn’t want him to know she’d been worried.

He took a seat on the edge of the bed and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

“Here, I made you coffee.”

She noticed the mug in his hand and took it with a small smile.

“Thank you.”

“How are you feeling? Are you up for breakfast?”

She waited for her coffee to go down before deciding her stomach could probably handle food. After all, she hadn’t puked last night, which was a plus.

“Sure, let me shower and we can go to Granny’s.”

He chuckled and shook his head.

“I was thinking I could make breakfast.”

“You’re going to make me breakfast? And I didn’t even have to have sex with you? What do I get once I do?” She teased.

“Well, I was thinking you’d need to start fueling up now for when I finally have my way with you,” he replied in a husky whisper. Heat flooded her stomach and it had nothing to do with her coffee. “And you’ll have to wait and see, Princess.”

“I hate that nickname,” she told him, needing a distraction.

“Good, then I’ll keep using it.”

She gave him a mock glare but found herself smirking as she finished her coffee.

“Thank you, by the way, for not…” She began, knowing she owed him an apology, she’d been…beyond difficult, but the words were not coming to her. After a moment she sighed and decided to wing it. “Most guys would have had sex with me and then say I asked for it so thanks for being a gentleman. I get really trashy when I’m drunk around men I like so…thanks for still being here. And I’m sorry.”

August took her hand and kissed her palm before leaning in to kiss her cheek.

“It’ll take a lot more than that to get rid of me; I don’t plan to go anywhere. And you’re welcome. In my opinion no man worth his salt would take advantage, but…most men are assholes, so…”

She laughed and leaned in to him, resting her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes she pulled away reluctantly. As much as she wanted to stay in with him all day and cuddle she had a missing woman to find. Plus, she didn’t think she could keep herself from kissing him if they were left alone for too long.

“I should go take a shower; we need to send out another search party.”

He nodded and kissed her forehead, his beard scratching her skin in a pleasant way.

“I’ll go start breakfast.”

She watched him go, enjoying the view. She should go running for the hills before he broke her heart, because it was inevitable, but she didn’t want to leave her kid. So she gathered her things, thinking it would be best not to walk around the house in nothing but a towel with August in the kitchen, and decided that she’d endure the eventual heartache and enjoy these new romance feelings while they lasted.

“Did you know that bathroom really doesn’t give you privacy?” August asked as she descended the stairs. She looked towards the all glass room and shrugged. She was used to it, plus the glass was foggy so you only saw silhouettes.

“Are you afraid you’ll get excited knowing you can watch me shower?”

“Who says I won’t?”

Emma kissed his cheek before moving towards the washroom.

“Because you’re a gentleman.”

She slammed the door shut behind her and quickly disrobed and hopped into the shower. Usually she let the water warm up but she wanted to be hidden by the thick shower curtain, just in case. As she waited for the water to heat she imagined him watching and then coming in to join her and her desire for him from the night before returned.

She remembered her interrupted thoughts of him and realized she had not had any time to herself since. It was stupid, with him in the other room and knowing poor Kathryn was out there somewhere, but as she stepped into the water stream she moved her hand between her legs. Sometimes a girl needed to get off and with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Sexy always around she didn’t think the desire to have him would go away. The least she could do was keep it under control until she could have her way with him.

Emma brought her fist to her mouth to muffle the noises coming out of her. A part of her screamed for her to let him catch on to what she was doing so he’d come finish the job for her but another part reminded her that he was too much of a gentleman and he’d ignore it and things would be awkward. So she did her best to make quick work of it, but it wasn’t until she heard him singing in what she assumed to be Italian that she was finally able to finish.

“August,” she whispered, his name falling from her lips like honey. She rested her forehead against the wall of the shower and took a few deep breaths. Good God. The man could get her off with just his voice. Friday couldn’t come fast enough.


	48. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August makes the girls breakfast and Ruby decides to test his loyalty to Emma.

Emma emerged from the bathroom refreshed and satisfied. She hopped onto a barstool and watched August cook with a smirk on her face.

“It’s always nice to find a sexy man who knows how to cook. If your food is any good I may even decide to keep you.” She teased while chewing her bottom lip as she stared at his ass. He had the best ass she’d ever seen. It seemed unfair that she’d yet to see it out of those tight jeans.

“See something you like?” He taunted as he turned around and set a mug down. Hot cocoa with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick. She beamed at him and took it happily.

“I’m _definitely_ keeping you now.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” he whispered and leaned forward to kiss her nose. “Eat up.” He pushed a plate in front of her and she almost moaned.

“Bacon _and_ French Toast? Are you trying to make me fall in love with you?”

“Maybe.”

He smirked and kissed her again before turning back to the stove. Emma smiled and crinkled her nose before digging in to her breakfast.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma was adorable in the morning. He spent part of his morning watching her sleep. When she slept she looked peaceful, something he’d never seen on her beautiful features before. Someday, he’d make sure she always looked that way.

On instinct he kissed her forehead and moved downstairs to make her coffee. She was sure to have a long day in store. As he made himself at home in the kitchen, he realized that being here felt right; as if he was supposed to be here. He felt comfortable with Emma, she was home to him. Even the morning banter they exchanged over her coffee felt familiar. Even with her hair disheveled and her eyes glossy she’d never looked more beautiful and it took all of his willpower not to kiss her.

Mary Margaret’s kitchen was easy to navigate and he busied himself with making breakfast for the girls while trying not to focus on the fact that Emma was very naked and wet in the next room. When he’d been a child his father had sung all the time: while cooking, working, when they took walks, everywhere. The songs had always stuck with him and without realizing it he found himself singing one while he made Emma’s cocoa.

He ground some fresh cinnamon for the French Toast and looked up to catch an accidental glimpse of her silhouette through the door. He immediately looked away and cursed the lack of privacy in their loft.

Poor Emma was going to be seriously traumatized when this curse broke and she realized she’d heard and seen her parents having sex. Hell, he was a little traumatized just thinking about it.

“It’s always nice to find a sexy man who knows how to cook. If your food is any good I may even decide to keep you.”

He turned to find her sitting at a stool and staring at his backside. He felt a smug sense of satisfaction and placed her cocoa in front of her with a grin. The look of happiness on her face erased every bit of doubt he had about his plans to help her break the curse.

“I’m _definitely_ keeping you now.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted,” he admitted as he kissed her nose. “Eat up.”

“Bacon _and_ French Toast? Are you trying to make me fall in love with you?”

“Maybe.”

She was making him fall in love with her; the least he could do was return the favor. He kissed her again and turned back to the fry pan, not wanting to burn everyone else’s breakfast.

“Morning, everyone.” Mary Margaret announced as she and Ruby entered the loft with coffee. “Did you make breakfast, Emma?” She asked, in shock.

“No, my man did,” Emma said happily, taking a bite of her bacon.

He hid a smile and set down two more plates on the dining room table before taking his own to the counter to join her. He kissed the top of her head and took a seat.

“I’m your man?” He teased.

“Keep being adorable and making me food and yeah you are.”

“Wow, this is good, very nice, August.”

“Thanks, Mary Margaret.”

“Very good,” Ruby said in a way that made him uncomfortable. He and Emma exchanged glances and she shook her head as if to say ‘ignore her’.

“So, is someone hung over?” Mary Margaret asked in a motherly voice and Emma groaned.

“Stop, I’m embarrassed enough as it is,” she said, stabbing a piece of her French Toast before popping it into her mouth and letting out a small moan. He ignored the affect the noise had on his body and reached for the syrup. “My God, I’m going to marry you. Are you guys tasting this? How does a man know how to cook like this? I can’t even cook, period.”

“I’m a single man who’s traveled the world my dear, there was no one around to feed me and I hate eating crap.” She smiled and kissed his cheek and he placed a hand on her knee before leaning in to her. “And someday I’m going to ask you to marry me and when you say ‘no’ out of sheer stubbornness I’m going to remind you of this moment.”

Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink and she glared at him.

“Shut up.”

He smirked, confident that someday they’d be at that place.

“I have to go to work; will you be okay here by yourself?”

They both eyed Ruby at the same time and he hesitated before answering.

“Yeah, I need to get back to the Inn anyway. An adorable blond woman interrupted my writing,” he teased. She winked and hopped off of her barstool. She moved to wash her dishes but he called out to her. “Don’t, I’ll clean up. I don’t have a real job and you do.”

“Ah, to be the man of the relationship,” she mused with a shake of her head before grinning. “Want to come along, Ruby? You can use the computers at the station to look for jobs.”

Ruby ogled August for a moment and he ignored her by starting to clean up.

“No, I want to take a shower. I’ll meet you down there.”

“Whatever,” Emma muttered, draining her cocoa. “So, I’ll see you later?” She asked trailing her fingers over his arm.

He glanced down at her and toyed with a loose piece of her hair.

“Yeah, I’ll bring something over for dinner and we can discuss what we’re going to do on Friday.”

Emma leaned in to kiss his cheek.

“Hmm, good,” she whispered and stopped short of his cheek. “Um…I should-“ He peeked over his shoulder to find the girls watching them.

“Right, I should get this mess cleaned up. I’ll see you tonight, then.”

They stood awkwardly for a moment, both unwilling to give the other a proper goodbye with an audience. Finally he decided to be a man and leaned down to brush his lips over her forehead.

“Be safe,” he whispered.

She nodded and grabbed her coat before saying farewell to the girls. He withheld as sigh as she left, already missing her. He shook it off, reminding himself that he’d see her again and began washing the dishes. Mary Margaret approached him and dumped her plate into the sink before glowering at him.

“If you hurt her, I will hunt you down, shackle you in a basement, and torture you until you beg for death. But I won’t kill you; instead I’ll let Ruby make a eunuch out of you. Do we have an understanding?”

Holy shit she was channeling Snow White in a very scary way and he simply swallowed and gave her a firm nod, unable to speak. He didn’t think Mary Margaret had it in her but once the curse broke…

“Can I have some fun with him before I do it? Because if so, I’m down.”

“Ugh, Ruby…” Mary Margaret shook her head and gathered her things without so much as a goodbye.

“What the fuck?” He muttered to himself once she was gone. He focused his energy on scrubbing a pan. He had no intention of hurting Emma, he’d done enough of that for a lifetime, but he could only imagine the world of hurt he was in for once the curse broke and Emma’s parents learned the truth. He didn’t like the idea of using a woman as a shield but he’d scream for them to think of Emma's feelings before killing him. Though, if she was angry enough…

“What the Hell, Ruby!” He jumped as she sidled up to him and cupped his ass.

“I get that you’re playing the gentleman card with Emma because it’s working for you but if you ever get sick of being alone at night, I’m always available and I won’t tell.”

“My God, Ruby! What is the matter with you? Do you think any man is ever going to respect you or take you seriously when you whore yourself out like this?” He threw the sponge down and turned to face her angrily. “You’re better than this. And Emma is your friend, how can you-Why are you smiling?”

Ruby leaned up and kissed his cheek before moving towards the washroom.

“Because you passed,” she called back to him before locking herself in the next room.

August stood for a moment, dumbstruck before turning back to his dishes, wondering what in the Hell had just happened.


	49. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma’s green-eyed rage monster emerges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Emma turned into a jealous monster when she found out about Graham sleeping with Regina I wanted to show jealous Emma with someone she’s actually dating. Also enjoy the Red Swan bromance feels. Thanks to my wife for looking this over.

Emma stepped onto the sidewalk and pulled her gloves on. It was a chilly morning and she’d much rather be back upstairs with her handsome writer. She couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her lips as she thought about how adorable he was. She wasn’t enamored enough to take his marriage comments seriously but she still found them cute, just like him.  
  
“Emma, wait!”  
  
She spun around and watched as Mary Margaret jogged to catch up.  
  
“Hey. So, any news on Kathryn?”  
  
Emma walked towards the cruiser and let out a sigh.  
  
“No, but I’m sending another search party out this morning. And I have a few more leads to follow up on. Don’t worry, if she’s out there, I’ll find her.  
  
“Good, this just…”  
  
Emma stopped and took Mary Margaret’s hand.  
  
“Hey, I know you’re worried. About Kathryn and about David, but I’m doing the best I can. You just need to trust me. This isn’t your fault. This isn’t anyone’s fault. She’s probably just out in the woods, lost and disoriented from the accident.” Emma knew there was a possibility she was out there dead or that someone had taken her, but she didn’t want to cause Mary Margaret any more pain.  
  
Mary Margaret nodded and Emma gave her a short but tight hug. Emma’s phone beeped and she checked her message while Mary Margaret wiped at her eyes.  
  
 _Um…Ruby just grabbed my ass and offered to have sex with me. The flirting’s bad enough but now I’m afraid I’m going to find her naked in my room and she’ll have her way with me._  
  
Irritation boiled in her veins and she took a few deep breaths before an irrational anger took her over.  
  
What in the fuck was wrong with Ruby? Emma had let the flirting slide because Ruby did it with everyone and it wasn’t like she and August were serious but after this morning she thought it would be clear to her friends that they were an item of some sort. Emma didn’t do friendship with women, but wasn’t there some sort of code?  
  
And what in the fuck was wrong with him? So what if he came home to find Ruby naked on his bed? Would he abandon all self-control and fuck her because she was there? He seemed to have no problem turning Emma down for sex, so what made Ruby special? Unless he wanted to have sex with Ruby, in which case she wouldn’t stop them.  
  
“Emma?”  
  
She ignored Mary Margaret and slammed the keys as she typed back a response, close to breaking the phone.  
  
“Did something happen with Kathryn? You look ready to rip someone’s head off.”  
  
 _Then go for it. Have sex with her. I don’t care. We’re all adults; you fuck whoever you want to fuck. It’s none of my business._  
  
“Jackass!” Emma grumbled, slamming her phone shut. She pushed it into her pocket and furiously pulled the zipper up on her jacket. “Nothing’s wrong. If August and Ruby want to fuck each other then they should do it, I don’t know why they have to tell me about it. It’s not like I’m his wife of something.”  
  
She didn’t even bother apologizing to Mary Margaret for the comment because sleeping with a married man was stupid and Emma wasn’t going to keep sugarcoating it for her.  
  
“Emma I doubt they-wait, are you jealous because they’re up there alone?”  
  
She’d forgotten that she’d left them alone, with Ruby intent on showering. She pictured Ruby emerging from the steamy washroom wearing nothing and images of the two of them sweaty and humping on the couch filled her brain. The vein in her forehead throbbed and she stormed off towards the cruiser with Mary Margaret chasing after her.  
  
“I’m not jealous!”  
  
“The crazy coming off you right now proves otherwise. Please tell me you’re not jealous because your boyfriend is alone with R-“  
  
“He’s not my boyfriend.”  
  
Mary Margaret gave an unladylike snort.  
  
“Yes, he is. You marked your territory last night and seriously? I thought I was going to throw-up watching the two of you this morning. He’s not going to cheat on you, especially not with Ruby. I’m positive he’s a little afraid of her, actually. She can be...you have nothing to worry about.”  
  
Mary Margaret was not the person Emma trusted when it came to cheating.  
  
“Yeah? Well, tell that to Ruby. She’s moved from flirting to ass-grabbing and propositioning him for sex.”  
  
Emma crossed her arms, daring Mary Margaret to challenge that one.  
  
“Jesus Christ, Ruby…” She shook her head. “That doesn’t mean anything. He told you, didn’t he? If he was going to take her up on the offer he wouldn’t tell you. I’ll talk to Ruby, she’s a bit much, I know, but she’s not as bad as she seems. Just calm down. I get that jealousy is a monster and you really like him-“  
  
It was Emma’s turn to snort.  
  
“YOU LIKE HIM.  
  
Like I said, I’ll talk to her. Just don’t take it out on him. And cool off before you start…overreacting.”  
  
“I do not-“  
  
“Get emotional over men? Yeah, right. You’re a horrible liar. I have to get to school.”  
  
Emma sighed, already feeling like an ass, but she was too stubborn to stop being angry. Or to check the texts he was sending her back. She shut her phone off and slammed the door to the cruiser, heading for the station.  
  
Half an hour later she sat in her office, making phone calls. She called the University again, just to see if Kathryn showed up after orientation, which was a dead end. So was the check-in with the search party. Emma buried her face in her hands, wishing she could do something more.  
  
“I’m here!”  
  
Emma’s eyes flittered up to find Ruby dumping her things onto one of the deputy desks. A moment later she bounced into the office with a smile; an adorable smile that reminded Emma of how attractive Ruby was to men. Her right eye twitched as her green-eyed monster returned.  
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
“No, I’m not okay, Ruby,” Emma snapped. “I have a missing woman who happens to be the wife of my best friend’s boyfriend, so aside from wanting to find her so she’s safe I need to do it before people start accusing her of foul play. I haven’t seen my kid in days because Regina is an evil bitch and I was stupid enough to give him up ten years ago. I’m hung-over and to top it all off, someone who is supposed to my friend can’t keep her hands to herself. I know you like men, Ruby, but do you need to go-you know what, forget it. I have things to do. You can have him. Men all leave eventually and I don’t have time to waste on him.” She stood and gathered her badge and gun, wanting to see the crime scene again.  
  
She didn’t do girlfriends for a reason. She was bad with all types of relationships and girl talk and she had zero tolerance for bullshit. Henry was the only reason she was still in this town and if she was planning on sticking around she needed to keep her job as Sherriff, which meant finding Kathryn.  
  
Ruby gaped in shock for a moment before blocking the doorway.  
  
“Emma, wait! I’m not…I don’t…” She sighed. “Look, I know I hit on him a lot but it’s because it makes him uncomfortable and I’m so used to gross guys hitting on me I find it kind of cute. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to have sex with him. I haven’t even been with anyone in a long time.  
  
Besides, I flirt with everyone in the diner; it’s how I make tips. The only ones I’m interested in are Billy and Archie and sometimes guys from the bar…so that…I don’t know why you would think it’s different with August.  
  
Sure, he’s easy on the eyes but have you seen the way he looks at you?”  
  
Emma wasn’t buying it.  
  
“So what was this morning about, then?”  
  
“I was testing him for you! Most guys would have gone for it. But do you know what yours did? Not only did he turn me down but he told me off. I think the fact that he told you is proof enough that he is not interested.”  
  
“Why would you want to test him?”  
  
Ruby gave Emma a sad frown.  
  
“Because that’s what friends do. And after Graham…I would hate to see what would happen to you if you got your heart broken for real.”  
  
Completely flabbergasted, Emma suddenly felt like an asshole.  
  
“Ruby…I’m sorry, I just…”  
  
“I know you don’t know how to…it’s fine.”  
  
“No, it’s not. My social ineptitude doesn’t excuse me being a bitch. And you’re not the only one I was a bitch to. Fuck,” she muttered, remembering she still had her cell phone shut off. “Will you be okay here? Henry has an early day today so I’ll be back soon. I just need to check on some things and find August.” She turned on the spare computer and locked her office.  
  
“Sure.”  
  
Emma took Ruby’s hand and gave it a squeeze before rushing out of the station, hoping August would forgive her.


	50. All I Want is You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August makes a romantic declaration and Regina makes some outrageous accusations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear to God, these two are kissing for real soon, promise. In fact, if you haven’t noticed, I’ve been posting a chapter a day, why? So you will all get the date and sexy kissing times before New Year’s Eve (*coughs: it’ll be in chapter 57*). I won’t be posting on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day but I’ll come back to posting on Wednesday. Enjoy some romantic August in this chapter.

August had sent Emma the text telling her about Ruby because he wanted her to hear about it from him. He wanted to be as honest as he could be with her. He had to hide so much about their world from her because she wasn’t ready and he didn’t want to hide anything else. She deserved as much.

He hadn’t expected to piss her off or to make her think he wanted Ruby. He knew she was damaged, like he was, but if she was this quick to mistrust people then getting her to trust him enough to believe in the curse was going to be harder than he thought.

“Fuck,” he muttered when she didn’t answer her phone again. He’d gone back to his room at Granny’s to shower and change, hoping that she’d cool off if given some space but it had been over an hour and he wanted to make things right with her before things got out of control.

His girl was a handful; he had to give her that.

The station wasn’t far but he took his bike, knowing there was a chance she’d be back in the woods. When he pulled up he was relieved to see her cruiser and even better, she was leaving the station. He hopped off and latched his helmet to the bike before jogging towards her.

“Emma, wait!”

She turned to face him with her keys still in the door of the cruiser.

“August, I-“

He took her key and pressed her against the door. He knew the only way to get Emma to listen was to force her to do so.

“I know you’re pissed but you’re going to let me talk before you go all dramatic on me again.”

“August, I’m not-“

“You’re the only woman I have eyes for, Emma.”

“August, I-“

He pressed his fingers to her lips, cursing her stubborn nature.

“When I go to bed all I do is think about you until I fall asleep and then I dream about you. When I get up you’re on my mind. When I write it’s because you’ve inspired me. If the phone rings, I hope it’s you. The best part of my day is when I see you smile,” he brushed his thumb across her cheek. “I know that probably scares you and it scares me because it’s too fast but all I want is you, Emma; no one else, only you. And I want all of you, Emma Swan, whenever you’re ready to give it to me, and I’ll wait forever if I have to. You’re worth it.”

A tear slipped down her cheek and he kissed it away before pressing his forehead against hers.

“I’m going to kiss you for real now, so if you’re not okay with it you’d better stop me.”

She gave him a small nod and he took her face in his hands before lowering his lips to hers.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma made her was brusquely for the cruiser. She had just enough time to hunt August down before meeting up with the ranger leading the search party. She got her keys into the lock when she heard a voice calling out to her.

“Emma, wait!”

She spun around, surprised but pleased to see August jogging towards her. If he kept being perfect and showing up at the right time like this she’d maybe consider believing in Harry’s fairytales.

“August, I-“

He cut her off by stealing her keys and backing her up until her back was flush with her car and her front was flush with him. She couldn’t decide what turned her on more: being able to feel every part of him or how aggressive he was being.

“I know you’re pissed but you’re going to let me talk before you go all dramatic on me again.”

She blinked, remembering that she still needed to apologize.

“August, I’m not-“

“You’re the only woman I have eyes for, Emma.”

Clearly. She observed him for a moment, finally seeing what Mary Margaret and Ruby had been trying to get through to her. She knew now that she’d been an irrational idiot earlier. Why wouldn’t he just let her speak? She wanted to be the bigger person here but he was making it impossible.

“August, I-“

When he pressed his fingers to her lips she gulped, forgetting the words that had been on her tongue.

“When I go to bed all I do is think about you until I fall asleep and then I dream about you. When I get up you’re on my mind. When I write it’s because you’ve inspired me. If the phone rings, I hope it’s you. The best part of my day is when I see you smile,” he brushed his thumb across her cheek and she withheld a small sob. He needed to stop saying these things because she couldn’t handle them. “I know that probably scares you,” fuck yes, it did, “and it scares me because it’s too fast but all I want is you, Emma; no one else, only you. And I want all of you, Emma Swan, whenever you’re ready to give it to me, and I’ll wait forever if I have to. You’re worth the wait.”

She wasn’t even aware she’d begun crying until a tear slipped down her cheek. When he kissed it away she closed her eyes, trying to fight the onslaught of tears that were threatening to fall. She opened her eyes to find him watching her as he rested his forehead against hers.

Being with him felt right and it scared the Hell out of her.

“I’m going to kiss you for real now, so if you’re not okay with it you’d better stop me.”

She bounced onto her toes so she could incline her lips to meet his. She curled her fingers into his jacket and let out a small sigh when she caught the familiar scent of leather on his skin.

“Sheriff, of course I’d find you not doing your job. It’s becoming a bad habit.”

Like opposing magnets they drew away from one another and Emma quickly swiped at her eyes, hoping Regina couldn’t see how red they were. She looked over August’s shoulder to find a sneering Regina and a very sheepish Archie standing behind him.

“Regina. Archie.”

“Sheriff,” Archie said pleasantly. “When you have a minute, I was hoping to speak to you.”

“Of course.”

Emma stared up at August with a small pout. If anyone interrupted them on Friday she’d take her gun and shoot them in the foot.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August clenched his fist in frustration. One of these days, he was going to steal her away to a cabin in the woods where they could be alone. He blocked Emma from Regina’s view until he knew she would be unable to see Emma’s tears.

When he heard a familiar voice his back stiffened.

_Jiminy._

August forced himself not to turn and look at him, too afraid to face him just yet, even if he wouldn’t recognize him.

“I’ll see you at home, then?”

He smiled, liking the sound of that. Not ‘her house’ or ‘my place’, just ‘home’. He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead and spoke in a hushed whisper.

“If anyone interrupts us on Friday I’m going to kill them. Just don’t arrest me because that would be awkward.”

She smiled and shook her head.

“Two more days, right?”

“Fifty-six hours,” he corrected before taking hold of her waist and pressing his lips to hers. Her fist clenched around his jacket and he broke the kiss only when he couldn’t trust himself not to take it further. “That one doesn’t count either, Princess.”

Emma let out a long sigh and nodded before pushing herself away from the cruiser.

“Bye.”

He watched as she joined Jimi-Archie and smiled. He turned to go back to his bike when Regina stepped in front of him, giving him a cold stare.

“A word, please?”

_Crap._

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

If he kept up with the ‘fake kisses’, she was going to have a heart attack. The moment his lips met hers her heart stopped and she forgot how to breathe. If he could do that with just a normal kiss, she flushed at the thought of what a real kiss would be like.

She followed Archie to the entrance of the station, wondering what he wanted.

“What’s up, Arch?”

“I just wanted to offer my assistance with the case. If you find Mrs. Nolan she’s most likely going to need some sort of counseling and if you don’t…”

“A therapist is always useful in trial.”

She appreciated the offer, especially since she highly doubted they’d find poor Kathryn alive.

“Thanks, Archie. If I need you, I’ll let you know, but right now there’s just a lot of forest to search.”

He nodded and she spotted Regina talking to August and she furrowed her brow. What in the Hell was that about?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Mayor, what can I help you with?”

“I’m on to you, Mr. Booth.”

On the exterior he maintained his cool composure but internally he was freaking out. There was no way she could know who he was, unless she had used magic? But why would she? He was no one to her. Unless she knew he was planning to help Emma break the curse or…

No, no one could know about his plans to find the dagger.

“I’m not sure we’re on the same page.”

Regina closed the gap between them and he pushed down the fear he still had of her as the Evil Queen, reminding his seven-year old self that they were not afraid of her anymore.

“You’re Henry’s father.” He opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off. “Don’t deny it. You and Emma found each other and decided to come and steal my son. I see the two of you around town, not even trying to hide your little…romance. I don’t know how you think you’ll conspire to get him away from me but it’s never happening. I’m his mother and if the two of you really wanted him you should have thought about that ten years ago before signing him away.”

Good God this woman was insane.

He sighed and shook his head. He was feeling cheeky, horny, and frustrated and was in no mood for any of Regina’s bullshit. Channeling Emma he gave Regina a shit-eating grin before leaning in to make sure she caught his every word.

“You’re right. The kid’s mine. And one of these days Emma’s going to prove that you’re no good for him and he’ll be back where he belongs. And the more you fight her, the more determined she’d going to be to save him from you. So I would suggest re-evaluating the way you treat him because there’s not a single person in this town who would find you to be the better parent for him.”

He knew how unhappy the kid was. He recognized a controlling, possessive parent when he saw one. And Regina was a sociopath. He wouldn’t put it past her to kill the kid if it meant no one else got to have him. He was nothing more than a possession for her.

Once the curse broke, they’d be back home and Emma would have her son and he’d be safe.

He moved past her and then backtracked.

“Also, I don’t recall ever giving her permission to give my son up for adoption, so…” He smirked. “Have a good, day,” _Your Majesty_ , “Madam Mayor.”

Emma was most likely going to kill him for that stunt later but the look of horror on the Evil Queen’s face had been well worth whatever punishment his princess would have in store.


	51. Emma's the Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma gets fed up with Ruby’s lack of self-esteem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The holiday put me behind in posting and I planned to spam you all with fic this weekend but family stuff got in the way. I’m going to post as much as I can to get caught up, but I doubt I’ll get seven chapters up in the next twenty-four hours, but they’re coming. Sorry, guys.

Emma entered the station after a morning filled with more work than she usually had in a week. She was more than ready for a greasy lunch from Granny’s but it was past time for Henry to be out of school and kid trumped food. She smiled when she strolled into the squad room to find Ruby on the phone with her kid at the computer. She kissed the top of the kid’s head as she watched Ruby curiously.

"Hey Miss Ginger. No, that's not a prowler, that's just Archie's dog Pongo. Throw him a vanilla wafer, he'll quiet down. Did you still want to talk to Emma? Great! Glad I could help."

"How's it going you two?"

"Great except I can't do anything."

Emma withheld the urge to roll her eyes.

"I'm sure that's not true. I just saw you on the phone that was good." Emma hated answering the phones. Most of the time it was useless calls like the one Ruby just took. Nothing ever happened in this town. Well, nothing did.

"That was nothing."

"No! No it isn't." She was annoyed with Ruby now. Her friend was always getting down on herself. It needed to stop and after their conversation this morning Emma wanted to be the one to help her be better. She and August both agreed that Ruby was a good person who was incredibly smart. She just made horrible choices. What Ruby needed was to see that she had skills outside of waitressing and flirting.

Something like…

A light bulb suddenly went off in her brain.

Emma got useless phone calls all day and she was overworked with this case. She needed someone to lighten her work load around the station and Ruby needed a job. Plus it wouldn’t hurt to have someone else to talk to instead of being in an empty office all day.

"I actually have some money in the budget if you want to help out around here."

Ruby grinned.

"YES! Thank you. Yes! Um I could answer phones and help out. Is there anything else you need done? Organize files, cleaning up? Please, I want to be useful."

Emma’s stomach growled and she remembered that she hadn’t eaten since August’s heavenly French Toast this morning.

"I'm swamped with the Kathryn Nolan thing but if you maybe want to grab us lunch, I'll never say no to a grilled cheese."

She made a face, knowing this wasn’t a very big task, but Emma was starving. She’d come up with something better for Ruby to do once her blood sugar was back at a healthy level.

"Done!” Ruby grinned and turned to Henry. “You want anything."

"Um...two chocolate chip cookies, a half a pie, and a hot dog."

Emma rolled her eyes and ruffled Henry’s hair.

"He ate at school."

There was no way her kid was eating all of that crap. Did Regina ever feed him? Every time Emma saw him eating it was at Granny’s. She made a mental note to convince August to cook dinner and to somehow sneak the kid over.

Ruby grabbed her things and headed for the door.

"Hey! Lunch Mary Margaret, I'm getting it for everyone."

Emma turned to find her roommate looking staggered.

"Um no, I'm not hungry.” Mary Margaret waited until Ruby was out of sight before approaching Emma, her hands shaking. “David's in the woods, something's wrong with him."

Emma stepped towards her hesitantly. Maybe David had killed Kathryn and if he was going off the deep end…

Well, she had a gun and she’d use it if it meant keeping Mary Margaret safe.

"He looked right through me. It's like...it's like he was a different person."

She glanced toward her kid, officially worried. She ushered the kid towards a desk and motioned for Mary Margaret to join her in her office. She shut the door and kept an eye on the kid as she sat on the edge of her desk.

“Tell me everything.”

Mary Margaret wrangled her hands for a moment and then sighed.

“I went into the woods after school, to look for Kathryn-“

“Mary Margaret, we have a searc-“

“I know. I just wanted to be useful. So I was going through the woods and then I heard something and David came through the brush. I started talking to him and then I realized he was just…his eyes were glazed over and it was like he couldn’t see or hear me and then he started walking away and I yelled for him but…

Emma I’m really worried about him.”

She reached over and took Mary Margaret’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“I’ll go out to the woods and find him. You should go home.”

“I should go with-“

“No. I’m the Sheriff, this is my job. Let me handle it. I’ll call you when I have news, okay?”

Mary Margaret nodded and Emma saw her to the door.

“Kid, stay where I can see you,” she called before going to her phone. She knew August planned to get some writing done so she called his room at Granny’s, trying not too thing to much about the fact that she knew his room number by heart.

He picked up on the fourth ring.

“Hello.”

“Are you busy writing?”

“Never too busy for you, what’s going on?”

Emma sighed.

“Well, I hate to ask but…I need to go back into the woods and I don’t want Henry walking home alone. I’d take him but…”

“Regina. Got it. Not a problem, I needed a break anyway. A walk would do be some good. I’ll be right over.”

She smiled.

“Thanks. I’ll see you later.”

“Wait, before you go…there’s something I need to talk you about, but it can wait until later.”

She groaned. What now?

“It’ll have to be later.”

“All right. Goodbye, Princess.”

She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to tell him off but she heard the click on the other end and shook her head. She hung up the phone and moved back into the squad room.

“Listen up, kid. August is going to walk you home, so I don’t want you to leave until he gets here, got it? You wait right outside and don’t go with anyone but him.”

He nodded and she eyed him to make sure he was telling the truth. Once she was satisfied, she tossed him the keys to lock up his book.

"Okay kid, I don't mean to kick you out but David's in some kind of trouble out there."

"It's okay; I'm supposed to meet my mom."

They sighed at the same time. The hardest part of seeing him was letting him go again. But she’d take that pain over the pain of not seeing him for days at a time. Henry returned her keys.

"There."

"Nice."

She shoved her phone in her pocket and checked to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything.

"You know, you can let Ruby do more. She's Little Red Riding Hood."

"With the little basket?" Emma laughed. Her kid was something else. "Yeah, she seems like a badass."

"She is, she just doesn't remember how cool she is or what she's capable of, but it's true."

Pride welled in her chest. The kid was really good at sensing that people can be better than they think they can be. She didn’t see him getting that from Regina, not with the way she was such a raging bitch. Score one for Team Swan.

"Hey, Ruby!"

"Hey Henry.” Emma turned away from Henry for a brief moment to greet Ruby. When she looked back she let out a sigh when she realized he was gone. She pouted, already missing him. “I got your grilled cheese."

"Thank you."

She took the bag from Ruby gratefully and began unpacking it. She’d eat it on the go. She noticed that Ruby did not look pleased. What now?

"You all right?"

"I guess, this is something I know how to do, so...yay."

Emma shoved her sandwich back into its bag. She was done with Ruby’s self-pitying bullshit. "Okay, let's pack these back up and we can eat it in the car." She plucked the sodas out Ruby’s hands, in full-on Sheriff mode. "I need to do a little wilderness searching and I need your help." Not only did Ruby know the woods better than Emma did but she was determined to show Ruby that she was useful.

"I'm pretty sure I'll screw it up. I mean, I'll screw it up with flair, but-"

"No you won't. Come on, you can do this."

Ruby tried to protest once more but Emma cut her off.

“I’m the boss and I say we’re going. Come on.”


	52. Emma's Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August and Henry bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henry, my boy, I am disappointed that you have yet to give one fuck about August this season. Shame on you.

August hadn’t been lying when he said he needed a break. Of course, he would have come anyway; anything for her. The cool sea salt air felt refreshing on his skin and his aching leg was thankful for the exercise. The station wasn’t far from Granny’s and Emma was sure to protest having the kid on a motorcycle, so here he was, walking towards the kid.  
  
“What’s up, kiddo?”  
  
Henry looked up from the game in his hand and smiled.  
  
“Hey, August!”  
  
“Ready to go home?”  
  
“Nah, I’m meeting my mom at Granny’s.”  
  
August’s eye twitched at the word ‘mom’. He knew Regina had raised him but he felt too protective of Emma to not feel…what? Defensive? Offended? Something he couldn’t quite name. Emma should have raised Henry and August couldn’t help but blame himself for the fact that she’d been forced to give him up and that the poor kid was stuck with the Evil Queen as his mom.  
  
“All right then, to Granny’s it is, come on.”  
  
Henry shoved his game into his backpack and trotted alongside August.  
  
“How was school, kid?”  
  
He shrugged.  
  
“It was okay.”  
  
“Just okay?”  
  
“Miss Blanchard seemed really distracted. Is Mrs. Nolan going to be okay?”  
  
Henry looked up at him with his sad eyes and August sighed.  
  
“You know about that?”  
  
Henry nodded.  
  
“My mom…never mind,” he muttered.  
  
“What is it?” August asked, glancing down at the kid. Henry shook his head and August took his arm gently before getting on one knee to look him over. Henry averted his eyes and August felt a silent rage build up in her chest. If Regina hurt him…”Henry, did she do something?”  
  
“No, she just…” Henry looked around, as if to make sure no one was listening. He leaned in to whisper. “She hates Miss Blanchard. And she said…she said that Miss Blanchard hurt Mrs. Nolan but I don’t believe her. You don’t think someone… _killed_ her?”  
  
Jesus Christ. What was wrong with Regina? Henry was too young to know about things like this. His resolve to break the curse strengthened and August squeezed Henry’s shoulder.  
  
“I promise you, if something bad did happen, Mary Margaret didn’t do it. She’s too good. I can’t promise that someone didn’t hurt her, but if they did, your mother will find them and make sure they pay for it, okay?”  
  
Henry nodded and August stood and crossed the street towards Granny’s with him.  
  
“So…can I ask you something?”  
  
“Go for it, kid.”  
  
“Why does my mom think you’re my dad?”  
  
August smirked. The kid didn’t ask if he was his dad, only why Regina thought he was. Smart kid.  
  
“I may have…let her believe I was.”  
  
“So you lied to her?”  
  
“Yes,” he admitted. “I don’t like to lie, kid, and you shouldn’t do it either, but…she was getting on my nerves. Besides, she just _assumed_ I was. I just didn’t correct her. Did you tell her the truth? That you’re dad’s dead?”  
  
Henry gave him a ‘look’.  
  
“We both know Emma lied.”  
  
“So what did you tell her?”  
  
The kid shrugged and August chuckled. Cheeky kid.  
  
“Don’t be too amused with yourself, as soon as I tell Emma, she won’t let us keep it up.”  
  
“Right…but it was funny to see the look on her face.”  
  
“Oh yeah. I know she’s your mom but-“  
  
“She’s also the Evil Queen.” Henry said seriously.  
  
“Speaking of the devil.”  
  
“Henry!”  
  
Regina emerged from the diner and crossed her arms. She glared at August, looking ready to kill him.  
  
“This is where I leave you, kid.” August led him to the gate and because he couldn’t resist it, ruffled his hair. “See you later, son.” He gave the kid a wink and Henry hid a smile before running to join Regina. August tipped his imaginary hat in her direction and laughed as he walked around to the alley that led to the Inn. The look on Regina’s face was priceless. He couldn’t wait to tell Emma about it.


	53. Red-Handed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma is impressed with Ruby’s tracking abilities and they find a clue that can blow the case wide open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s some more of the case. I’m going to get as many chapters up of this as I can this weekend; my brain’s editing abilities permitting.

Emma followed Ruby through the woods. So far, she’d been impressed with Ruby’s knowledge of the forest. If Emma had been alone, she’d have gotten lost through the massive brush of green. There weren’t many trails and the ones that did exist had long ago been reclaimed by nature. Emma tripped over a root and cursed, reaching out for Ruby.  
  
After a few more minutes, Emma spotted boot prints. This had to be the way.  
  
“Come on, stay close, I think we’re getting somewhere.”  
  
“This place is massive. How are we supposed to find one guy?”  
  
Emma straightened up, making out the faint sound of something lurking. She hushed Ruby, trying to get a better listen.  
  
“Hey, shh. We might be able to hear him.”  
  
“It’s massive,” Ruby replied and Emma sighed in frustration. Did Ruby have to argue with her about everything? Sometimes, Emma understood why Ruby was unable to hold onto a man and it had nothing to do with her sexual past, it had to do with the old married woman side of her personality. And the low self-esteem, which, Emma reminded herself, was the point in bringing Ruby along; aside from her knowledge of the woods.  
  
“I’m following the path because there are boot prints, so just stay close,” Emma insisted.  
  
“I shouldn’t even be here. I’m just going to screw everything up.” Emma rolled her eyes. This again? “Oh, wait.” Ruby stopped abruptly and Emma bumped into her.  
  
“Ruby?”  
  
“I hear him.”  
  
“Really?” Maybe Emma hadn’t just been hearing things earlier.  
  
“Yeah, really. I hear him or…something. I…I know where he is. Don’t you?”  
  
“No.” Ruby began running off and Emma chased after her. Was she insane? She was going to fall and break her neck or they’d end up lost and eaten by wolves. “What are you doing?”  
  
“He’s over here!”  
  
“Ruby!” Emma cried out, doing her best to follow her. She stopped and looked around, trying to listen for her. “Ruby?” She spotted her through the trees and rushed to her side. Ruby stood over a bleeding and unconscious figure and it took Emma a full minute to realize who it was.  
  
“David?” She knelt to his side. “Oh, god. Come on! David, come on! Wake up!” She attempted to shake him awake but it was no use, he was out. With a shaking hand she reached out to check his pulse and sighed in relief. He was still alive. She tried to shake him awake a final time. “David, wake up!”  
  
His eyes shot open and Emma pulled away, wanting to give him some air.  
  
“Emma? What? Ruby?”  
  
“Do you remember where you are?” She should probably take him to Whale, he looked pretty banged up. But before she could do that, she needed to know what had happened.  
  
“No, I…what the hell? I was…I was in your office. Did you bring me here?”  
  
Emma locked eyes with Ruby for a moment, confused. She turned her attention back to David and spoke very carefully.  
  
“You don’t remember anything since you were in my office? Last night?”  
  
“No, I don’t.”  
  
Emma knew David was telling the truth and she and Ruby exchanged worried glances. She helped David to his feet and checked his head to make sure he didn’t have and abrasions. There was a small cut and she winced, hoping he didn’t have a concussion or something.  
  
“Ruby, call Dr. Whale and let him know we’re on our way. David, give me your keys, Ruby can drive your truck back into town, and I’ll take you to the hospital. How does that sound?”  
  
David nodded groggily and tossed his keys over to Ruby. The three of them carefully made their way out of the forest. Twenty minutes later, Emma stood with her arms crossed in the emergency room as Whale looks David over.  
  
“Well, he’s bruised, scratched up, a little dehydrated. What you’d expect.”  
  
Emma wasn’t sure how she felt with Whale as their doctor, but he was the only doctor in this town.  
  
“He’s got a cut on his head.”  
  
“It’s superficial. I can refer him to Dr. Hopper for a mental health eval, but, it’s my opinion, that whatever caused this blackout is the same phenomenon we observed when he came out of his coma. Moving around, acting out, not remembering it later.”  
  
She didn’t know why, but she felt protective over David. It had to be because of Mary Margaret, after all, she barely knew him. Perhaps he was experiencing some sort of side-effect from the coma. She trusted Archie a lot more than Whale. She suspected he was in Regina’s pocket which immediately put him on Emma’s list of people not to trust. Not to mention, he was a skeevy bastard and far too sleazy for her tastes.  
  
“We will figure it out.”  
  
“It’s so strange. I can’t even believe it happened.”  
  
She remembered what Mary Margaret had said about running into him in the woods.  
  
“How functional could he be during one of these episodes? I mean, he talked to someone.”  
  
“Whale: Well, people in similar states, even under sleep medication, do all sorts of things. Cooking, talking, driving a car.”  
  
Emma and David exchanged a small glance and she knew they were both thinking the same thing.  
  
"I'm worried. I want to know if I could have kidnapped her and killed her."  
  
"Now take it easy there." Sure, she’d thought it too, but she didn’t want him getting ahead of himself, especially in front of Whale who could turn around and tell Regina all about it. Even Whale seemed to agree with her. "No one's saying you did anything bad, David."  
  
"No but it would explain why I didn't seem like I was lying. I wouldn't know."  
  
Emma opened her mouth to agree with Whale when Regina stormed into the room. What in the Hell was she doing here? Emma gave Whale an accusatory glare.  
  
"Stop talking, David. What are you doing here?" Why doesn't this man have a lawyer present? Have you even read him his rights?"  
  
Was Regina serious? First she wanted Emma to find out what had happened and now she was suddenly concerned for David? What was her game?  
  
"No because he's not under arrest. We're just talking."  
  
"Right, just talking."  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Mayor Mills is still Mr. Nolan's emergency contact."  
  
"You have to be kidding me?"  
  
She looked at David for an answer. There was something seriously wrong with this town and all of it revolved around the mayor. Even without her bias, Emma could see it clear as the day. Hell, even August knew something was up with her.  
  
"I thought that changed to Kathryn."  
  
"Well, Kathryn's currently unavailable. Some people haven't found her yet."  
  
Emma took a step towards Regina. She had an overwhelming urge to hit her again but she remembered Henry and stopped.  
  
"Stop trying to place blame and just find her."  
  
"There's a whole lot of Maine to search, Regina."  
  
"Well you've covered this room. I suggest you branch out."  
  
Emma sighed. _Henry_ , she reminded herself. Instead she rolled her eyes and gave David’s shoulder a squeeze.  
  
“David, you let me know if you need anything.” She told him and gave Regina a final glare before leaving the room. She pulled out her phone and checked to make sure no one was in listening range before dialing the station.  
  
Emma wanted to believe David, but Regina’s involvement aroused her suspicions. As had his questions about his blackouts. If he had killed Kathryn, he could try to use them in his defense. _Oh, your honor, I had no idea I killed my wife, the blackout made me do it._ If he had done something, he needed to pay for it.  
  
The last time he’d blacked out he’d wound up at the toll bridge. Maybe there was something there. And Ruby had done such a good job today, Emma trusted her to get there and find something before she could. The station was closer anyway.  
  
“Sheriff’s station, thank you for calling. How may I direct your-“  
  
“Hey, stop. It’s me. Here’s the thing; the last time David went for a dream walk, he went to the toll bridge. You know the one? It’s a crazy hunch, but I want you to take my bug and go and see if he was there.” Emma moved through the hospital, checking every so often for eavesdroppers.  
  
“No, I could get somebody else to.”  
  
“Ruby, you were great out there. I still don’t know how you found him. You can do this.”  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
Ruby was wasting time. Emma moved faster, wanting to get there as well.  
  
“It’s going to be dark out soon. David’s going to be let out. If there is something there, we’ve got to get there first. We don’t have time to argue. Can you do this?”  
  
After a moment of hesitation, Ruby agreed  
  
“Good, call me on your cell once you’re close and I’ll be on my way.”  
  
Five minutes later Emma was on the road and Ruby was back on the phone.  
  
“I mean, what am I even looking for?”  
  
“Anything out of the ordinary. Something that doesn’t belong there.”  
  
 _Like a body_ , Emma thought. She turned onto the next street carefully.  
  
“And…if I find something?”  
  
“Just follow your instincts.”  
  
“You…can’t give me a clue what I’m looking for?”  
  
Emma sighed. How many times did they have to go through this? She checked the sky and it was darkening. They needed to do this fast. Once Emma got out of Storybrooke proper, she’d be able to speed up; she didn’t want to take any chances with driving while on the phone in town.  
  
“Anything of Kathryn’s.” Ruby went quiet and Emma began to worry. “Ruby? What’s going on? Did you find something?” Was that why they were playing twenty questions?”  
  
Emma heard a loud thump from the other line and then screaming. She sped up the cruiser, taking the risk of an accident. If Ruby was in danger because of her…  
  
“Ruby? Ruby?” The screaming continued and Emma threw her phone into the passenger seat and flashed her lights. She sped to the toll bridge, calling out Ruby’s name as she did so, but the screaming didn’t stop.  
  
She threw the cruiser into park and ran out of the car and down to the water, where the noises were originating. She found Ruby covering her mouth, still crying out, with tears staining her face. Ruby saw Emma and began to shake as she pointed to a box on the ground. Emma, more concerned for Ruby, took her in her arms and calmed her down. Once Ruby stopped yelling, Emma forced a still sobbing Ruby to look at her.  
  
“Did someone hurt you?”  
  
Ruby shook her head.  
  
“So…you just found something?”  
  
Ruby nodded.  
  
“I’m going to let you go now, okay? Just…take deep breaths.”  
  
Ruby nodded again and Emma released her. She knelt down and opened the box. She jumped back in horror. With a deep breath, she calmed herself and moved closer to inspect it.  
  
Good God…  
  
“Ruby, get in the cruiser.”  
  
“Emma, is that-”  
  
“Get in the cruiser, Ruby.”  
  
Ruby complied and Emma ran a hand through her hair. She took a few deep breaths. She’d known there was a good chance Kathryn was dead, but now that she possibly had proof…  
  
She wasn’t scared because of the heart. She’d never been responsible for anything. Her entire life had been her bouncing around from place to place, job to job, never committing to anything. This was real, this was something she couldn’t run from, and it terrified her.  
  
Once she was sure she wouldn’t pack up and leave town, she carefully closed the box and lifted it. She carried it to the trunk, where she wrapped it in her rain slicker and slammed the lid. She pulled out her phone and dialed Mary Margaret.  
  
“Emma, I was just-“  
  
“Are my spare keys still hanging on the wall?”  
  
“Um…” She heard footsteps and then keys jingling. “Yes.”  
  
“If you call August, he will drive you to the toll bridge, where my bug is parked. Can you drive it back home?”  
  
“Yes, Emma, what’s-“  
  
“I’ll tell you later, right now I have to get to the station.”  
  
“Oh God, you found her, didn’t-“  
  
“Goodbye, Mary Margaret.”  
  
Emma slammed the phone closed. She couldn’t tell Mary Margaret until she knew something. This wasn’t something like telling her about a date or about Henry, this was an investigation. She hated keeping things from her, but she needed to do this right.  
  
She parked the bug to where it would be safe and locked it up. She slid into the cruiser where she and Ruby sat in silence for a moment. Once she was sure she could drive knowing a woman’s heart was possibly in her trunk, she turned the engine and sped off.  
  
"Is that what I think it is?"  
  
They’d been in the station, staring at the box, for over an hour. Emma wasn’t sure what to do with it at this hour. She’d have to lock it up and get it sent for testing first thing in the morning. She felt useless; she wanted to do something more than wait around for procedure.  
  
With a sigh she nodded.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I can't look."  
  
Emma finally reached over and with her gloves, closed the box. She could also dust it for prints and send those out for analysis. She glanced over to a still-shaken Ruby and felt her nurturing instinct kick in.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"I don't know what I am."  
  
"It's gonna be alright. We can figure out what happened now. Ruby, you did good."  
  
Emma was proud of her. She’d done so much good work today, work Emma wouldn’t have been able to do on her own. She’d made a good decision in hiring her.  
  
"This is doing good?"  
  
"Yeah. It's amazing. First you found David and now this?" For a moment she was reminded of Graham, who had been an amazing tracker. No wonder he’d been Sheriff. She fought off a small smile at the memory of him and returned her focus to Ruby, who needed her reassurance. "I know you say you don't know who you are but whatever it is, I got to say, I'm impressed."  
  
Ruby began crying again and Emma’s heart broke a little. Even though Ruby had done well, Emma still felt guilty for putting her through this. It wasn’t the greatest first day on the job.  
  
"Don't be. I got to say, I'm a little scared out of my mind."  
  
"But you did it anyway." Emma took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m really proud of you, Ruby, you were incredibly brave.”  
  
Ruby wiped at her eyes and took a few shaky breaths.  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
“Come here.” Emma pulled Ruby in for a hug and Ruby hugged her back gratefully. After a few minutes Emma pulled away and wiped a stray tear from Ruby’s face. She gave her a small smile and patted her on the back. “I’m going to text August and Mary Margaret. They can get dinner and then we can go home, okay?”  
  
Ruby nodded and Emma left her to go lock up the evidence and arrange for there to be a cheering Ruby-up party when the returned home.


	54. I'm Sticking with You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls get Ruby calmed down and then Emma and August are adorable assholes together.

Mary Margaret met them at the door with a cheerful smile.

“I’m about to make some grilled cheeses. Are you hungry?”

Ruby shook her head and walked into the loft. On the ride home, she’d become somber again and Emma knew she’d have to tell Mary Margaret about their discovery. Ruby needed someone to talk to about all of this and despite her best efforts, clearly Emma wasn’t helping.

An arm snaked around her waist and she let out a small cry of surprise before August’s familiar stubble brushing against her neck abated her fears about serial killers. She turned and slapped his arm as he chuckled and pulled her against him.

“That wasn’t funny,” she hissed, remembering the heart in the box. She shuddered and pushed him away from her before ushering him inside. She bolted the door and then double checked the locks, just to be sure.

“What’s gotten into you?” He asked seriously after searching her face.

Emma glanced behind him. Mary Margaret was in the kitchen, fussing over Ruby and trying to convince her to eat something. Neither was paying attention to her or August so she pulled him aside. She didn’t want to take any chances of Mary Margaret overhearing. She wanted to tell her without Ruby listening, the poor thing had been through enough.

“We found a heart today.”

“What?” He cried out before lowering his voice. “Are you okay?” He reached up to cup her cheek, clearly worried. With a small sigh, she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. After a moment she opened her eyes and nodded.

“I’m fine. Poor Ruby, on the other hand…” She shrugged and motioned to Ruby who sat at the counter with her shoulders hunched down as she pretended to drink a cup of tea.

August pulled Emma into his arms and kissed the top of her head. She allowed herself a moment to enjoy his embrace before she pulled away to tend to Ruby. She kissed his cheek and moved into the kitchen, taking off her coat as she went.

“I brought some wine and chocolate,” August announced. He held a chocolate bar out to Ruby who took it gratefully and immediately unwrapped it and dug in.

“Thanks, August,” she said through a mouthful.

“The win-“

“I’ll get it,” Emma said, taking out four glasses. She left August to it and leaned across the counter to take Ruby’s hand.

“Ruby, do you need anything?”

She shook her head and gave August a smile as he handed over a glass of red wine. She downed it in one swift gulp. An impressed August slid another one towards her and she repeated the action. She shook her body as the alcohol hit her and she set the glass aside.

“I just want to go to bed and forget today happened.”

Mary Margaret gave Emma a questioning look and Emma shook her head, she’d tell her once Ruby was in bed.

“You can sleep in my bed tonight; it’s less noisy up there. Why don’t you get cleaned up?”

“Thanks, Emma.” Ruby hopped off her stool and gathered her things from Mary Margaret’s room before locking herself in the bathroom.

Mary Margaret turned and set her hard gaze on Emma.

“What happened?”

Emma sighed and circled the kitchen island so she could face Mary Margaret.

“You cannot freak out. We don’t have any lab results back yet and if you say anything to David, it could hurt my investigation. I am only telling you because Ruby needs someone to talk to; she’s clearly not going to get over this anytime soon.”

“Emma, you’re scaring me.”

“We…” She met August’s eyes and he gave her a small nod. She focused her attention back on her roommate and sighed. “We found a heart-“

Mary Margaret let out a horrified gasp and covered hear mouth.

“We don’t even know if it’s human yet, let alone if it’s Kathryn’s.”

“You let Ruby see it!”

“She was kind of the one who found it,” Emma replied uneasily. Before Mary Margaret could yell again, Emma spoke. “At least we found something, which is better than not knowing.”

“Oh yes, so…ugh…” Mary Margaret threw up her hands and walked away so she could pace and mutter to herself.

Emma buried her hands in her face. August approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned into him as Mary Margaret began going off about ‘irresponsibility’. Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How was she supposed to know Ruby was going to find a heart? Plus, Ruby was an adult; she couldn’t continue to be sheltered for the rest of her like the way she had been with Granny. Emma suddenly understood where Ruby’s self-worth issues stemmed from.

Ruby emerged from the bathroom with her hair still wet and Emma had never seen her look so exhausted. She gave August’s hand a squeeze and he moved to clean things up while she and Mary Margaret led Ruby upstairs. Once Ruby was settled, Mary Margaret agreed to stay with her.

“All right, I’ll see you both tomorrow then…”

She hoped poor Ruby didn’t have nightmares. Ruby leaned into Mary Margaret who embraced her and Emma turned to leave them alone. If anyone could make Ruby feel better, it was Mary Margaret. She grabbed her quilt and a pair of sweatpants before making her way down the stairs. She reached the bottom of the stairs to find the kitchen not only clean but a glass of wine waiting for her on the coffee table.

“Stop trying to make me fall in love with you,” she teased before climbing on top of him. He pulled her into his arms as he lay back onto the couch.

“Never,” he said as he kissed the top of her head. She closed her eyes and held him while he flipped through the channels for something to watch. She was too tired to go back upstairs and dig around for a movie, so they’d have to settle for bad primetime.

“Bad day in general?”

“What gave it away?” She mumbled, her face pressed to her chest. She turned her head and nuzzled his neck. “Was it the dead woman’s heart? Or Regina? Because seeing her once wasn’t enough, I had to deal with her twice today.”

He moved his fingers through her hair and she let out a small, contented sigh, ready to sleep.

“Sorry, amore,” he whispered as he buried his face in her hair. A moment later she heard him chuckle and she groaned.

“What?”

“I may have done something…”

Emma sat up and stared down at him accusingly.

“Not like that, come here.” He grabbed her hands and pulled her back against him. She pouted, but he did feel like a very nice pillow so she cuddled against him once more. “Regina and I had a conversation today.”

“Ugh, yeah, I meant to ask you about that,” she grumbled. She could only imagine what fuckery Regina had started with him. “What did she want? If it’s your hot bod, she’s shit out luck, because it’s mine.”

“Yeah it is.”

She pinched him and he laughed.

“Fine, fine. Anyway, Regina has it in her head that…” He paused, trying to find the right words. “She thinks I’m Henry’s dad and I didn’t correct her.”

Emma’s eyes shot open and she sat up.

“You did what?”

He stared up at her, half-anxious and half-terrified and she smacked his chest, hard.

“You ass!”

While it was stupid, she couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across her face. He pulled her down and tickled her and she playfully hit him in return, mildly annoyed.

“I’m going to have to tell her the truth, why would you-“

“Henry and I thought it was hilarious.”

“Henry’s in on this!”

“He kind of started it, to be hon-“

“Ugh!”

“Come here.”

He grabbed her around the waist and playfully tackled her to the couch. She squealed and grabbed a pillow to hit him with.

“You’d better get off of me unless you have plans to do something other than play games, Mr. Booth.”

“Is that so, Sheriff Swan?”

Emma used her elbows to lean up until their noses were touching and she stared him down.

“Oh yeah.”

“I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Emma rolled her eyes. Of course they would be interrupted again. When it was finally time to seduce him for real, she was taking him out of town and to a hotel and if anyone tried to come into the room she’d pull out her Smith and Wesson, no questions asked.

“Nope, I needed to get changed anyway.” She kissed August’s cheek and squirmed out from underneath him. She grabbed her things and hurried off into the bathroom. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, pulled up her hair, and stripped down into her tank top before throwing on her sweats. She emerged feeling ready to cuddle again and waved to Mary Margaret who was also changed as she headed back upstairs.

“What are we watching?” Emma asked as she plopped herself onto his chest.

“I don’t know; something about angry chefs.”

“Sounds good to me.” She settled into his arms as he wrapped her quilt around her body. She did her best to keep her eyes open, but she felt too relaxed in his arms and soon they were closed. He rubbed lazy circles on her back and soon she was fast asleep with a smile on her face.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

_“You have the most beautiful eyes,” he whispered as he pushed back a lock of her hair. He gazed down into her gorgeous hazel eyes. Whenever she wore green they became a brilliant shade of emerald, but now, in the dim light of their bedroom, they reminded him of the sea; a lovely mix of sapphire and jade._

_She reached out and brushed her hand over his stubble with a lazy smile._

_“Yours aren’t so bad, either. They’re very…blue.”_

_He smiled and kissed her nose. She wasn’t a wordsmith, but he understood her meaning. He shifted his weight and lowered his head to place kisses along the underside of her jaw. She moaned and he moved his lips to her pulse point, lapping at the area with his tongue before sucking lightly._

_“August,” she sighed, moving her hands into his hair. “We can’t, what if-“_

_“I’ll be quick,” he interrupted as he slid a hand between her thighs. The moment his hand made contact with her warm center, screams filled the air._

_Emma groaned and pushed him off of her._

_“I told you.”_

_“No, you stay, I’ll get it,” he told her with a smile as he kissed her quickly. She smiled and got back under the covers._

_“You’re the best.”_

_“I know.”_

_He moved into the next room to find two large eyes that were identical to Emma’s staring at his tearfully._

_“It’s okay, Princess, daddy’s-“_

“Mother fucker.”

August’s eyes shot open and he heard Emma hissing and muttering to herself. His body felt the absence of her warm form pressed against him and he sighed. He found her across the room, rubbing her knee and glaring at whatever she had knocked into before pacing in a small circle.

“Hey.”

She froze and turned to him before making that adorable pout he loved so much.

“Did I wake you up,” she whispered?

“No, come here, what time is it?”

The sun wasn’t even out yet. What was she doing up and pacing at this hour.

“Um…it’s like five thirty, I think?” She moved to the sofa and he pulled her into his lap.

“What’s wrong? You have hours before you need to be at the station.” He kissed her temple and she burrowed her face in the crook of his neck. “Hey, come on,” he whispered, rubbing her back. He got the sense that Emma was not a morning person, but she looked like she’d been up for a while.

“Nothing, I just…” She sat up and rubbed her fingers together nervously. “It’s this case. I need to send the heart out and everything depends on what I do and I just…” she shrugged, unable to go on.

“You’re afraid because you’re not used to being responsible.”

Her bottom lip quivered and she looked at him, amazed.

“How do you get me so well? It’s starting to creep me out.”

He toyed with a loose lock of her hair.

“Because I’m the same, Emma. I understand not being able to handle responsibility because I’ve spent my whole life avoiding it and running from it. But…” He shrugged. “You have Henry, now. You can’t run anymore. And I get that it’s stressful and it puts a lot of pressure on you, knowing you have to stay when your brain is telling you to run.

But you have me and Mary Margaret and Ruby. Anytime you feel like running, we’ll remind you why it’s a bad idea.”

“But if I mess up this case-“

“You won’t. The fact that you’re so invested in this case is why you won’t. You care, Emma. You’re not going to be sloppy or careless; you’re going to find out what happened and catch whoever did this. I have faith in you.”

“What about you? You run all the time, how do I know I’m not going to wake up one day with the urge to leave to find you beat me to it?”

August took her hands in his and raised them to his lips. Very slowly, he kissed the tip of each of her fingers. Her breath hitched and she glanced up to meet his eyes, half-terrified. He maintained contact with her gaze and he kissed her palms and then the inside of her wrists. By the time he finished, her heart was racing and her breathing labored, but she looked calmer.

“I’m not going anywhere, Emma. We both have issues with running, yes, but I wasn’t running from something, I was running towards something, and I’ve found it. I’d be an idiot to leave the one person who makes me want to put down roots and be responsible.” He remembered the dreams he had almost nightly now, of the two of them having a family; Henry, a couple of rugrats of their own, and their parents; a life where they were happy and together. He wasn’t going to give up on that dream because of his guilt over his past. He was done hiding behind a bottle. She made him a better man and he intended to stick with her until his dying die.

“Stop saying things like that, it-“

He lowered her chin and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“You’re stuck with me, Emma,” he whispered as he linked his fingers with hers. “And you should try to get some rest. You’re going to need it, we do have a hot date in a little over a day,” he teased.

“I can’t wait,” she replied, hugging him around the waist. 

“Neither can I, Princess.” He ran his hand over her back and kissed the top of her head. “Neither can I.”


	55. Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During dinner, Emma proves to be quite persuasive and forces August to come clean about his demons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The date is the next two chapters (oh yes, it needs two of them); I hope you’re all ready.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come along?”

Emma glanced over her shoulder. Mary Margaret and Ruby were on their way out to the Rabbit Hole and while Ruby looked like someone Emma would gladly take home after too many drinks and a bout of bi-curiosity, Mary Margaret looked like she belonged back at the convent. While she was sure watching the two of them interact with men at the bar would be quite entertaining, there was no way she was moving; she had sweatpants, a week’s worth of Daily Show’s on the DVR, and Chinese Food, what else did a girl need?

“I think we all know what’ll happen if you get me out to an establishment with a lot of alcohol.”

Mary Margaret eyed the now empty beer bottle in Emma’s hand.

“He knows what he’s getting into if he keeps giving me these,” Emma said with a shrug as August plopped down on the couch with her new beer.

“Don’t you worry about me, Mary Margaret, any molesting that goes on will be welcomed,” he teased. She snatched her beer and kissed his cheek smugly. Beer wasn’t enough to turn her into a dirty slut, but she’d pretend if he wanted an excuse to have her hands all over him.

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes and opened her mouth but Ruby kicked her.

“Oww.”

“They want to be alone for a reason,” she muttered. Emma rolled her eyes as Mary Margaret realized what Ruby was implying. Ruby was wrong, of course, but she did want to be alone with him; he made for an excellent body pillow and she’d been fantasizing about sleeping with him all day.

“Right, well, we’re going, if you chang-“

“Oh my God, they’re not going to. Let’s go! We both need a drink after the week we’ve had and you promised to help me figure out my Granny problem,” Ruby whined. “I can’t do that without at least three Cosmos.”

“Oooh, those sound good. Let’s go. Bye!”

Emma waved and reached for her egg rolls.

“I thought they’d never leave,” she complained. Her day had been Hell. She’d sent the heart out for testing, sent out the fingerprints, because of course Storybrooke didn’t have a system to run them through in an efficient and quick manner, and Ruby had been on edge all day. Emma eventually sent her home because she couldn’t take seeing her jump every time the phone rang anymore.

August placed his arm over her shoulder as he sipped on his soda.

“Planning to have your wicked way with me, Sheriff?”

“Oh yes. I’m going to get you nice and full on Chinese food, to the point where you can’t move from this couch, and then I’m going to make you hold me while I take a well-earned nap.”

“Kinky.”

“Right? I might even lure you up to my bedroom for a night full of sleeping comfortably.”

“Ooh baby. You’re going to turn me on if you keep talking like that.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes; and while that sounds really hot, I don’t know if we’re ready to take our relationship to that level.”

“Too bad; I cannot handle another night on this tiny couch, so you’d better get used to the idea, mister.”

“You just want me to make you breakfast again, don’t you?”

“Pretty much,” she admitted as she chugged down half of her beer. She glanced over and smirked. He pulled her against him and turned his attention back to the show. She eyed him as he drank his soda for a long moment before deciding she had to know.

“So, what’s your story?”

August watched the television for a moment before glancing over, confused.

“What do you mean?”

She gave him a ‘come on’ look.

“August, I wasn’t born yesterday. You asked me out for a drink and we had water, you bring over wine and only pour three glasses for four people, I’m drinking ALL of the beer while you nurse your Pepsi? It’s okay; I’m not going to dump you if you and booze aren’t friends anymore.”

She was an ex-thief, who was she to judge?

August shifted uncomfortably and she immediately regretted bringing it up.

“We don’t have to-“

“No, it’s fine. I um…” He took in a few short breaths before meeting her eyes. “I’m an alcoholic. I’m talking week-long benders, black-outs, and I was a mess for a long time.” She brought her hand up to stroke his hair. His haunted gaze broke her heart. “I’m still a mess and I’ll always be, but I haven’t touched the stuff in months. In fact, I think this is the longest I’ve been on the wagon,” he said quietly, as if surprised by his own strength.

Emma gave him a proud smile. She understood what it was like to be a mess and like her, he seemed to be getting over his issues. She brought her fingers down to rub the back of his neck.

“Was it just the alcohol?” She whispered, suspecting that the self-loathing on his face was due to more than just a drinking problem.

He sighed leaned his head back. She kept working her fingers over his tense muscles while he continued to stare up at the ceiling. They sat in silence for a few minutes while he worked up the nerve to answer her question.

“For the most part; from time to time I’d take painkillers. Oxy, mostly, and um…” He swallowed hard. Emma recognized shame when she saw it. She set her beer down and took his hand, linking their fingers together as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

“August,” she whispered, “it’s okay, you can tell me anything.” Sure, if he confessed he was really an axe murdered, she’d flee the loft in a heartbeat, but a body count aside, she was sure she could handle anything he had to confess.

“Women; my other weakness was women,” he admitted. The muscles in his neck tensed. She closed her eyes, remembering all of the times she’d come on to him after too many drinks and felt guilt well up in her gut. He’d been able to not only resist her but the alcohol as well. He was a goddamn saint.

“August-“

“I’d be okay for a while,” he insisted, cutting her off. “I’d move on, settle in to work on my writing, and then something would happen and I would start drinking which led to the pills and women. Lots of women, I don’t even remember most of them. Whenever I couldn’t deal I would fall off the wagon hard and…”

He glanced over sadly.

“You deserve better, Emma. I’m a mess and I’m the furthest thing from a saint…I just…I’ve done things I’m not proud of. And I want to be better but sometimes I think it’s not in my nature to be a good person and to be happy.”

Emma watched him for a long moment before pulling him against her chest. She ran her fingers through his hair and held him tightly as he wrapped his arms around her middle.

“No one’s perfect, August. You’re not the only one who’s made mistakes. Hell, you’re not the only one in this loft who can’t remember half the people they’ve slept with. You’re trying, which is more than some people can say and from what I can tell, you’re succeeding.”

He lifted his head and she took his face in her hands.

“It’s because of you-“

“Don’t-“

“No, it’s true. I’d been sober for months before I came here and it was Hell, but since I met you I don’t even think about having a drink. I don’t want it anymore. You may not believe in magic, Emma, but there’s something about you that makes it easy for people to become better.”

“August,“ she said with a small sigh. He was sweet, but there was no way she was the reason why he was firmly on the wagon; unless he was in love with her, which was crazier than Henry’s book.

“Emma, I mean it. I have a lot of demons but when I’m with you…it’s like you’re an angel whose light shines so brightly it keeps them at bay. You have an effect on people, Ems, whether you choose to see it or not.”

Henry had told her the same thing but…

She shook her head.

“You’re crazy.”

“Only for you.”

He kissed the top of her nose and she cringed.

“Stop being such a girl.”

“I mean it, anytime I think about going back to who I was, because it’s easier, I think about you and it makes me want to keep being a better man.” He tucked a loose piece of her hair behind her ear as he searched her face.

“So, you’re really okay with everything? I mean-“

“August, I’m not going to hate you because you don’t have the perfect past; you’re only human after all. I’m not perfect either, despite what you choose to believe.

Now shut up, we’re missing the show.”

He smirked and rested his head back on her chest as she toyed with his hair. They watched television in silence and when the girls returned from the bar hours later, they found the pair lying in the same position, peacefully asleep.


	56. The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August and Emma finally have their first ‘real’ date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first part of the date. I swear I’m trying to be better about updating but I have a lot going on in RL and I am easily distracted. My suggestion is just to review and demand what you want to see more of to kick my butt into gear because that’s the easiest way to guilt me into it, TBH. And if anyone cares, the dress she wears is the one from the pilot. Part two is done and should be up in a few days. Much thanks to hunks for looking this over. Enjoy my darlings.

August sat at the counter of the diner and poked at his burger and fries. He attempted to take a bite of a single fry, but got it halfway to his mouth before deciding that he couldn’t stomach his now cold food. He threw the fry down and shoved his plate away.

Telling Emma the truth about his vices hadn’t been easy, but this morning when he’d woken up in her arms to find her watching him with a big smile, he felt that the weight on his shoulders was much lighter. He still had to tell her the truth about their shared past and the curse, and the more he was able to open up to her about, the fewer lies he had to keep, the better he felt.

He prayed that when he finally laid all of his cards on the table that she’d find it in her heart to forgive him. He really couldn’t bear the thought of living without her.

“You know, boy, you’re going to need your strength for tonight; don’t let a weak stomach keep you from giving your body what it needs.”

August glanced up to find Granny watching him.

“What?”

“Your big date tonight; you’re not going to woo her if you’re fainting from low blood sugar.”

“How did you-“

“I know everything that goes on in this town, boy.”

He shook his head and took a half-hearted sip of his water. Granny never ceased to amaze him; she was one of the few people in this town who had remained the same. Even back in their land she had always been able to see right through him. She was full of piss and vinegar and it was comforting to have her back in his life.

“Besides, I know a love sick-puppy when I see one.”

He glanced up to find her watching him knowingly and opened his mouth in an attempt to argue but she held a hand up.

“Don’t lie to me boy. I may not be your mother, but I demand respect from you.”

“I wouldn’t-“

“Here,” she pulled a piece of cherry cream pie, his favorite, out of the refrigerated case. She placed it in front of him and he shook his head, knowing he was too amped up for his date with Emma to eat.

“I can’t-“

“Dammit boy, eat. Trust me; it’ll be good for you.” Granny took his plate from earlier and barked at one of the waitresses to nuke it for him.

August frowned, knowing the old woman would stand there until she was satisfied he’d eaten enough. With a small gulp, he took a tiny bite of the pie. Then another. By the time she returned with a cup of coffee and her own slice of pie, he’d inhaled half of it.

“See, I told you. All you needed was some sugar. Now, tell me…” for the first time, he saw a flicker of vulnerability but it was gone before he could question it. “How is Ruby settling in at the Sheriff’s station?”

August glanced over and gave Granny a small smile before reaching over to squeeze her wrinkled hand. She wasn’t the only one who could see through people.

“Ruby’s doing fine. Emma thinks Ruby’s something special and she’s really been helping her with this Kathryn Nolan case.” He let go of Granny’s hand and reached for his coffee so he could take a small sip. “But…”

Granny glanced up and he let out a small sigh.

“I think she misses you. It wouldn’t hurt for you to budge a little, you’re both pretty stubborn and I think you’d be surprised at how long she’ll hold out…”

“Don’t sass me, boy. Shut up and eat your pie,” she barked. August detected a hint of a smile on her lips. He shook his head and did as he was told.

“Whatever you say, Mrs. Lucas.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Look at her, she’s like a teenager on her first date,” Mary Margaret teased as Ruby poured them each another glass of wine.

“It’s cute; I’ve never seen her so flustered before. Now I know she’s human.”

“Neither of you are _helping_!” Emma snapped, internally freaking out. She’d been able to hide her anticipation for her date by throwing herself into her work but now that she was trying to find something decent to wear, she was inwardly cursing herself for not taking the time to fuck out of Storybrooke for a quick trip to a Macy’s or something. Everything in Merryweather’s reminded her of something Granny would wear.

She threw down a black dress and stood with her hand on her hips as she looked over the discarded contents of her closet.

“I have _nothing_ to wear. NOTHING!” She ran a hand through her hair before throwing herself down into a chair.

“You should just wear that,” Ruby suggested as she motioned towards the black lace bra and panty set that Emma was currently donning. Emma shot her a dirty look before throwing a high heel in her direction. Ruby ducked and dodged it before laughing.

“You’ve had too much to drink,” Emma scolded before reaching for Mary Margaret’s glass and downing it. She needed something to calm her nerves. She shoved the glass back into Mary Margaret’s hands before digging through her dresser. Maybe she could find a nice pantsuit or something.

“I don’t know why you’re so nervous; you’ve already slept with him.” Ruby commented as she finished the rest of her wine.

“I HAVE NOT SLEPT WITH HIM!” Emma snapped. Before they could say anything she sighed. “I mean I’ve technically slept with him, like in the same bed, but we haven’t…ugh, you know what, this is none of your business.”

“Seriously?” Ruby asked in disbelief. “I mean, I get that he’s like not a douche but-oww!” Ruby shot Mary Margaret a look after being shoved in the ribs. “Does that mean her and Gra-ouch! That hurts!” Emma turned away from them, annoyed. She didn’t feel she needed to tell them about her relationships unless she felt like it and she didn’t have the stomach for this kind of stress right now.

Tonight needed to be perfect; August was wonderful and he did so much to make sure they were doing this the right way and she didn’t want to screw it up.

“The red dress is cute.” Mary Margaret suggested as a way to change the subject. Emma gave her a grateful look before glancing to the one she was pointing at. She let out a small sigh.

“Not that one.”

“Why not?”

Emma folded a few blouses and shoved them into a drawer before picking up dresses and skirts to put back on their hangers. She didn’t think they’d end up back in her bedroom, but just in case…

“I was-nothing, I just don’t like that one. The shoes that go with it are hard to walk in and it’s too tight.” Truth was, it made her think of Henry and she didn’t want to be thinking about her kid while out on a date. Plus, the damn thing was impossible to get on and off.

“What she’s saying is she wants something August can get into easily,” Ruby said with a wink.

Emma rolled her eyes.

“It’s…” she sighed and met Mary Margaret’s eyes. Mary Margaret gave her one of her ‘motherly’ looks, the one that made Emma spill her guts, and so instead of telling them the truth she grabbed it with a sigh.

“Fine, but one of you is helping me into the damn thing.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Two hours later, Emma stood in the middle of the loft, trying to figure out what to do with herself. The dress had been tight six months ago when she’d last worn it but with all of August’s cooking, she’d put on a few pounds, so sitting wasn’t an option, at least not until she’d blown his mind by letting him see her in all of her glory.

Hell, if she had her way, they wouldn’t even leave the apartment. But she promised herself that she’d try to behave, for his sake. But he wasn’t making her resolve to be good any easier, because when she opened the door followed by his very firm knock, she was left breathless.

“My God…”

He stood in her doorway wearing a pair of gray Dockers and a dress shirt, much to her surprise. Her eyes traveled up and she smiled when, in true August style, the top few buttons were undone, exposing his chest hair. She resisted the urge to lean forward and run her fingers through it and instead continued to look him over.

“You combed your hair,” she teased, impressed.

“I always comb my hair. You look nice too, by the way.”

Emma smiled and grabbed her purse as she realized that the butterflies that had been in her stomach all day were finally gone.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August had gone all out; the shoes, the clothes, even his hair, and while he knew he looked good, he wasn’t sure if Emma would like it. She was used to casual August and he was afraid she wouldn’t be into the clean-cut version of him. He stood outside of her door for a full minute before gathering the courage to knock and when she opened the door, all thoughts of his appearance went right out the window.

He sucked in a deep breath while resisting the urge to whistle. She looked…

“Wow,” he muttered so quietly he was sure she hadn’t heard him.

“My God…you combed your hair?”

“I always comb my hair.” He couldn’t even bring himself to properly tease her back. She looked amazing. She was already the sexiest woman he’d ever seen but now…

“You look nice too, by the way.” She looked better than ‘nice’ but he’d temporarily forgotten how to use vocabulary. Emma grabbed her things and he led her out the door. He caught himself glancing down at her ass as she passed and he withheld a groan.

“Are you trying to kill me, woman?” He asked as he realized he wasn’t going to make it through this date with his sexy siren taunting him in her red dress without addressing the fact that he wanted to tear it off of her.

Emma smirked and glanced back at him saucily.

“The plan was not to make it out of my apartment but since you failed that part of the evening, yes, the intent is now to kill you.”

August smirked and grabbed her from behind before kissing her neck.

“Come on; let’s get to dinner before one of us ends up naked.” He teased before releasing her to open the building’s front door for her.

“And that would be an issue why?” Emma asked as she led him down the sidewalk.

He followed before grabbing her hand and smirked. As much as he wanted to get her into bed and put that mouth of hers to use he’d meant what he said about taking things slow and he told her as much.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before.” She reached his bike and he shook his head.

“We’re not going on that thing with you looking like that, give me your keys.” He was the one taking her out so there was no way he was letting her drive. Besides, if his hands were free in the bug, he wasn’t sure that he could continue to be a gentleman with her in that dress.

“No, I can drive,” she insisted but he snatched her keys and pressed her into the door of the bug. He let his lips linger near hers for a long moment, until he felt her trembling when he then proceeded to kiss the tip of her nose. She wrinkled it and frowned, clearly not amused with his taunting.

“You don’t know where we’re going,” he reminded her.

“Well then, you can just tell me.”

August shook his head.

“Not happening.”

Emma gave him her best pout and it was adorable, but he wasn’t buying it.

“Are you going to let me feel like a man and take you out to dinner or what?”

Emma sighed and relented.

“Fine, but that kiss better be worth it.”

August kissed her forehead and led her to the passenger side.

“I promise it’ll be everything you dreamed of.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma had to admit, this was the best date she’d ever been on, and she’d been on hundreds of them. August drove them to an adorable Italian restaurant that was much fancier than she’d been expecting. He let her order the wine and pick both of their entrees and she found herself smiling far more than usual.

“What?” She asked with a small blush as she finished a bite of her tiramisu. He’d been staring at her with the same goofy look for the past five minutes and it was starting to make her feel flustered.

August looked down with a smile and poked at his half of their shared desert before glancing up to meet her eyes. The butterflies returned to her stomach and she resisted the urge to duck her head.

“You’re just the most beautiful woman in the room.”

She felt her cheeks grown even hotter and looked down with a small grin of embarrassment.

“No I’m not.”

“You are, maybe even the entire world.”

“Okay now you’re full of it,” she told him, her bullshit meter going off.

August winked and took another bite.

“Only a little,” he teased.

She laughed and took the last bite of their treat smugly.

“Wait, you have a little something…” August reached out and brushed his thumb over the corner of her lips. Emma froze and suddenly it wasn’t her cheeks that were feeling the heat. He pulled his hand back and licked the mascarpone from her mouth off of his skin and Emma let out a small, shaky breath.

“We should get out of here,” she whispered a moment later. The whole date part had been fine, but if she didn’t get her hands on him soon, she’d die from it, and she didn’t think he wanted her to fly across the table and attack him with her mouth.

August didn’t miss a beat, he motioned for the check, and before Emma could finish rushing through a make-out fantasy they were back in the bug and headed back to Storybrooke. She didn’t even think to challenge him for possession of the driver’s seat.

Emma tapped her fingers on her thighs nervously and jumped lightly in surprise as he reached over to link their fingers together. She glanced over at him with a smile and while he kept his eyes on the road, she could see his eyes light up when she gave his hand a small squeeze. With any luck, the girls would be gone so she could bring him back inside and ruin him properly.

 


	57. The Kiss that Counts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August and Emma have their first ‘real’ kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s part two of the date. My wife recommends reading this with a dry towel handy. I was going to wait and be evil to post this but after the day the Babes have had with the Eion interview, I thought we could use something good.

“What are you doing?” August asked with a chuckle as he led her into her building. Emma finished mussing his hair and grinned at her handiwork.

“Stuff,” she teased before slipping off her heels. She was sick of walking in them and they had two flights of stairs to climb.

“Give me those,” he plucked her shoes from her hands before wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “No girlfriend of mine has to carry her own shoes.”

“Oh, you’re such a romantic, how were you still single and available for me to snatch up?”

“Hush or I’ll put that mouth of yours to better use.”

“Promise?” Emma asked, wishing he would kiss her already, but she knew she’d have to keep waiting and why. She’d been expecting him to kiss her outside of the restaurant, then by the car, then outside of the car, and then her building and it took her until this moment to realize that he was waiting to do it at her door, like the typical adorable first date kiss in the movies.

He was such a girl.

But she liked it.

“So…are you coming or…” Emma trailed off once they reached her loft and she playfully toyed with her keys just to have something to do.

“Next time, Princess,” he promised. They both knew what would happen if she got him into the apartment and his resolve was stronger than hers.

_Bastard._

“Well um…” Emma shook her head, realizing how trite this was. They weren’t teenagers anymore, after all. “This is stupid. Just fucking kiss me already, will you?” She gave him a small pout as she toyed with the open collar of his shirt.

They watched each other for a long moment, both anticipating the other’s next move. He leaned in slowly and in her eagerness to have it be done with, she moved to kiss him first. Her red heels hit the floor with a loud clang echoing through the empty hallway as August closed the distance between them and their lips finally met…

Officially.

Emma’s fingers found their way back into his curly hair as he pressed her into the door. His soft lips moved against hers slowly, eliciting an involuntary moan to come rumbling out from her chest. She drew him against her as his tongue begged to be granted entry into her mouth. Emma parted her lips as his tongue explored hers and she smiled as she realized this kiss was well worth the wait.

He pulled away first, much to her disappointment, but she supposed they did have to come up for air eventually.

“Wow,” he whispered as he kept his body pressed against hers. Their lips lingered near one another and she nodded, too flustered to speak.

“Something like that.” She messed with his hair again, until it was just the way she liked it. “I like it better when it’s messy,” she whispered before grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him in for another kiss.

His hands roamed her sides as she deepened the kiss. When she broke the kiss a moment later she smiled up at him in amusement.

“So…does that one count?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

A small growl escaped August’s lips as he pulled Emma’s body flush against his. As if he wasn’t already turned on, her cheek made it worse.

“Come here, you little minx,” he grumbled as he kissed her again. He was glad to know that his self-induced torture of keeping his hands to himself had been well worth it. The anticipation and waiting alone made it even sexier but Emma was one hell of a kisser.

She tasted like cinnamon and did this thing where she nibbled on his lower lip when she pulled away from…

And there it was again.

“Emma, you’re going to have to stop that or you’re going to make things very hard for me.”

“Is that so,” she teased in a throaty whisper. Her slender fingers moved to his belt buckle and he gently took hold of her wrist.

“Don’t temp me, Ems,” he warned, knowing there were only so many times she could put her hands into his pants before he let her take them off.

“But I really want you to peel this dress off of me, slowly, and then ravage me like the world’s about to end,” she whispered as she leaned up to tug on his lower lip with her teeth.

August groaned.

“Soon, I promise,” he said as he lifted her hands to his lips. “Okay?”

Her nod said ‘yes’ but the pout on her lips said ‘no’.

He sighed and tilted her chin up so he could kiss her again. He moved his hand through her hair and wrapped his arm around her waist. They kissed for a few more moments before he slowly drew away from her and pressed his forehead against hers.

“Incredibly soon?”

“It better be soon or I might have to find another motorcycle riding writer with sexy stubble and a nice ass to spend hours making love to me.”

He smirked at her choice of words, glad they weren’t the same vulgar ones from her drunken night.

“It’ll be so soon you’ll be begging me to wait because we’re moving too fast.”

“Uh huh, I doubt it.” A smile tugged at her lips and she moved her hand to the handle. He watched her, wanting to make sure she got in safely, and once she was out of sight he’d be heading straight to Granny’s to turn into an emotional ‘girl’ as Emma would call it, complete with a slice of leftover pie from the diner.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma pressed herself into the door. She wanted to wait until he was gone before she turned into a typical fucking female and did her happy little post-date dance. She couldn’t do it inside, in front of the girls, so she needed him to skedaddle so she could do it in the hallway.

When he didn’t leave she raised her brow curiously. Why was he still…

She pondered things for a moment and then she realized what he was doing. Her damn, perfect, gentleman of a boyfriend wasn’t going to leave until he was sure she was safely inside her apartment. Emma threw her purse down and reached for him.

“Fuck it,” she declared as her mouth assaulted his.

She didn’t care about waiting or doing things the way they were ‘supposed’ to be done. He was the closest thing to a Prince Charming as she was ever going to find and she’d already lost one perfect man when Graham had died, she wasn’t going to waste an opportunity to be with August in every sense of the term.

She slowly backed him up against the opposing wall as her hands moved to cup that perfect ass of his. She felt him resist for a brief moment but all it took was a small bite of his lip to get him to tug her harshly against him. One hand moved into her hair and the other fondled her breast.

Emma moaned into his mouth as she pressed her pelvis against the bulge in his trousers. August moved his lips to her neck and she slipped her hands under his shirt. He suckled a sensitive spot on her skin and she raked her nails over his six-pack.

“Take me inside,” she appealed, as she moved her hands to his buckle.

She could see him fighting an internal battle behind those gorgeous blue eyes. She was sure that with a few more moments of insistence on her part she could convince him.

“Please, August,” she pleaded as she moved to kiss him again.

“Emma, I thought I heard you out-oh.”

“Mary Margaret, we’re busy,” Emma scolded as she pulled her man down for another smooch, but even as she did it, she could feel that her moment of seduction had passed.

_Damn it._

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August was glad for the interruption because he found he had a hard time telling her ‘no’. It took every ounce of self-control that he still possessed to slowly pry her off of him. He kissed her briefly before picking up her discarded items and handing them over to her.

“I should go. But we should have breakfast in the morning, at Granny’s.”

Emma licked her swollen lips and nodded.

“All right. I will…” she motioned to the loft and August nodded. He kissed her forehead before reaching behind her to open the door for her. Emma watched him for another moment before disappearing into the apartment. Once it closed he placed his hand on the cold steel and leaned against it with a goofy smile on his face.

“Damn.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma shut the door before leaning against it with a stupid smile plastered on her face. She let out a content sigh. Even with Mary Margaret’s cock-blocking, those kisses were still…

“Damn,” she whispered as she fingered the lock. She could still feel him on the other side and she chided herself for being such a girl. She pushed away from the door and deposited her things onto the dining room table.

“Someone looks happy.”

“Yes, well, you should have seen what I caught them doing.”

Emma ignored them. She was too happy and high on near-orgasm inducing kisses to be bothered with their teasing.

“Unzip me, will you?” She asked Ruby as she poured herself a glass of water.

“So, things went well?” Ruby asked as she freed Emma from her dress.

Emma beamed and shrugged.

“You know…it was a regular date,” she teased with a wink. “What did I miss?”

“Ruby’s going to move out tomorrow.”

“Oh?” Emma asked as she slipped out of the fabric and tossed it onto the back of a chair. She’d pick up after herself tomorrow and Mary Margaret would have to deal with it.

“Granny and I made up and…” Ruby sighed. “As much fun as I find the whole finding body parts thing is, I think the diner is more my style.”

Emma zoned out somewhere near ‘diner’. The image of August holding her against him while his lips devoured hers played on a loop in her mind and she couldn’t focus on anything else.

“Uh huh, that’s good. I’ll uh…I’m really tired…” she trailed off as she lazily waved to her friend before making her way up the stairs.

“Oh, she has it _bad_ ,” Ruby commented.

Emma flipped her the bird and entered her bedroom. She slowly stripped out of her sexy underthings and threw on more practical garments along with sweat pants before climbing into her comfortable bed.

She let out a long sigh as she hugged the pillow that still smelled like August and smiled.

“ _Damn_.”

 


	58. The Diner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone behaves like an adorable asshole over breakfast.

“Hey you,” Emma whispered as she wrapped her arms around August’s waist from behind. She wasn’t normally this open with displays of affection, but he looked adorable and she was still high from last night’s kisses.

August turned to her with a smile and leaned down to kiss her. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it sent a shiver down her spine. He pulled her against him and grinned mischievously.

“I thought we were going to meet for breakfast, not in a dark hallway,” he teased as he kissed her again.

Emma smiled against his lips and shoved her hands into his back pockets to keep him close. Plus, she’d never turn down an opportunity to touch that perfect ass of his.

“Hmm, well, August, stop,” she whispered while trying not to laugh. It was going to be impossible to have a conversation if he kept kissing her like that.

“Sorry, but you look tasty,” he replied before pulling her against him for a real kiss. His fingers found their way into her hair as his tongue delved into her mouth and she felt herself go slack against him. She reached up to cup his cheek as a moan escaped her lips.

Emma knew if they kept on like this he’d have to move in with her because Granny would throw him out for having sex out in the open in front of her customers. She pulled away from him reluctantly and blushed. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater, hardly what she would call ‘edible’, but to each their own she supposed.

“I didn’t see you inside so I thought you might still be upstairs. I didn’t expect to find you leaning against the front desk looking so sexy.” And he did look sexy; all the time. He oozed sex appeal, which was only made worse by the way he leaned against things. She’d never seen a man so capable of sending heat pooling in a woman’s body simply by standing against an inanimate object. He usually stood with his arms crossed and his hip resting against a wall or counter but today he was leaned over the desk writing something down and showing off his perfect backside.

Sometimes she swore he was so damn attractive simply as a means to torture her.

August kissed the top of her head and then took her hand.

“Sorry, princess, but I have to pay the rent. Come on.” He led her through the doorway that went into the diner and stopped at the counter.

“Mrs. Lucas, you’re looking lovely today.”

Granny turned to him with a doubtful look.

“Is that so, boy? I hope that’s your rent in that envelope.”

“Of course, I’d hate to see what you would do to me if I was late.” August handed it over and she shook her head before barking at one of the waitresses to get him a table. Granny looked between the two of them knowingly and winked.

“Glad to see the date went well,” she commented before disappearing into the kitchen.

“Not _that_ well,” August called and sighed. “She’s…”

“I know.”

Emma took his hand and moved to a booth towards the window. She slid in and while she expected him to sit on the opposite end of the table he surprised her by joining her and resting his hand on her knee. Emma glanced up at him in mock-annoyance before a smile broke out on her face. He leaned down and kissed her nose before handing her a menu.

“Oh, I already _know_ what I want…”

“A black coffee and a hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon,” he ordered as the waitress came over. Emma rolled her eyes. It was adorable that he knew what she liked but he was such a smug asshole about it.

“And the pancake platter with an extra side of bacon, eggs over medium and wheat toast,” she finished. He looked at her, surprised, since she rarely ate more than a bowl of cereal. “Someone wore me out last night,” she teased, just as Granny walked by. The old woman smirked and Emma groaned.

“Um…I…” August covered his mouth as a laugh escaped him and Emma hit his arm before handing the waitress the menus.

“He wants the waffles, bacon, sourdough, and the eggs scrambled,” Emma ordered. August rarely changed it up at the diner when it came to breakfast. The waitress nodded and smirked before leaving them and once they were alone she hit his shoulder, hard. “You are an asshole.”

“I’m sorry, but the look on your fa-oh, don’t be mad at me. Come here.” He leaned down to kiss her but she turned away, annoyed. She didn’t need everyone to think they were having sex when they weren’t, not yet anyway. Word got around quickly in this town and Granny was the worst gossip of them all.

The last thing she needed was for word to get back to Regina that she’d been caught doing the walk of shame.

August kissed the back of her neck and she could visualize him pouting which made her concede and look back at him. Yup, he was pouting and it was the cutest thing she’d ever seen. He looked like a damn puppy. He kissed her and put him arm around her before pulling her against him.

“Don’t worry, Granny adores me, she won’t say anything.”

“I think you put too much faith in her crush on you.”

“And I think you have zero faith.”

She gave him a small nod. He wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t that she tried to be a pessimist, but she also couldn’t be as eternally hopeful the way he and Henry seemed to always be.

“Well, if it isn’t the town’s new hot couple,” Ruby announced as she slid into the booth across from them. Emma gave her a small glare as Mary Margaret stood lingering.

“Ruby, I’m sure they want to be-“

“No, sit,” August offered.

“Okay, you’re good to me and you like my friends? What’s the catch,” Emma whispered as Granny came by to kiss the top of Ruby’s head and yell for more drinks.

“Have you eaten yet,” Ruby asked and Emma watched as the two of them bickered over Granny’s health. Granny won, of course, and went right back to barking orders at the staff while checking on her own tables.

Emma rested her head on August’s shoulder while the girls ordered and they waited for their breakfast.

Mary Margaret’s face lit up as she looked over Emma’s shoulder.

“Henry, hi!”

Emma pulled away from August like a bat out of Hell. Nothing trumped her kid, not even a hot guy. She turned to find him standing next to August and Emma beamed before reaching out to ruffle his hair.

“Hey, kiddo, where’s Regina?”

She didn’t want to get her hopes up about actually having time to spend with the kid.

“She has a Saturday City Council meeting with Mr. Glass.” Emma gave Mary Margaret a ‘look’. Did they even have those…Emma decided she didn’t care. She Lifted her hips so August could slide down and take her seat and she pulled Henry down next to her before kissing his cheek.

“You hungry, kid?”

Henry nodded as their plates came. Emma ordered another hot chocolate and gave him hers before giving him his own fork so they could share. She knew she was ignoring everyone else at the table, but she wanted to catch up with him. She hadn’t been allowed to see him in days and even things as simple as how he was doing in school, which she could find out from Mary Margaret, brought a grin to her face.

“Emma, what’s a ‘walk of shame’?”

Ruby snorted as Mary Margaret gasped and Emma’s mouth dropped open.

“Where did you hear that?”

“My mom.”

Emma saw red for a moment but August squeezed her hand. She looked down to find they’d been holding hands without her realizing it. She looked back at Henry and tried not to imagine the things Regina said about her when they were alone.

“It’s what your mom and Mr. Glass will be doing when they leave their City Council meeting,” Emma said and left it at that. She glared at Ruby who was trying not to laugh aloud and took a bite of her bacon.

Henry looked over at August and then to their joined hands and Emma slowly slid her hand out of August’s too grab her hot chocolate, but really, she felt self-conscious with the kid around.

“I though you guys were ‘just friends’,” Henry accused and Emma found herself blushing while she tried to find something to tell him.

“We were, but things change,” August said as he gave her thigh a small squeeze.

“Oh. Okay. Cool.” Henry shrugged and took another bite of pancake.

She glanced over to her enigmatic writer who gave her a small wink before offering her a piece of his waffles since Henry had devoured most of her breakfast.

She resisted the urge to kiss him and turned her attention to her friends.

“So, what are you two up to?”

An hour later, Emma watched Henry trot off towards the Mayor’s Mansion with Mary Margaret with a small sigh.

“Miss him already?” August asked as he wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him and nodded. He kissed the top of her head and she turned to give him a small kiss.

“I need to get to the station and I’ll probably be there most of the night. Want to come over tomorrow?”

He ran his hand through her hair and tilted her chin to kiss her.

“I’ll bring over groceries and we can make dinner,” he promised. Emma knew he’d be the only one cooking and she was fine with that.

“Good.” She firmly placed her lips on his and moved to go to the cruiser but he drew her back for a proper farewell kiss. He released her a moment later and headed for the Inn without another word. She watched his ass as he went and left for work with a huge grin on her face.


	59. Late Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unable to concentrate on anything but Emma, August calls to check in on her and things get heated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of feelings about fallen angels and how they relate to these two idiots in leather jackets.

August lay in his bed with his worn copy of _Paradise Lost_ betwixt his calloused fingers. His head swam as he fought to focus on the words on the page.

_Who first seduced them to that foul revolt?_

An image of blonde curls filled his mind and he shook it off.

_Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile_   
_Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived_

What would it be like to trail his hands over her creamy skin?

_The mother of mankind, what time his pride_   
_Had cast him out from heav'n, with all his host_

“Jesus Christ!”

August tossed his book to the side and resisted the urge to run his hands over his bare chest by mussing with his hair. He fought off more fantasies of Emma and reached over to fetch his book and put it on his nightstand. It was his old friend and he regretted throwing it aside.

“Damn it, August, keep it together.”

He didn’t even miss her because he wanted to explore her sexually he just…

Missed _her_.

The way she chewed on her lower lip, the infuriating set in her jaw when she was being stubborn, the dirty looks she sent his way when she was annoyed, and most of all her smile. It was a rare but wonderful thing and he wanted nothing more than to see it right now.

He closed his eyes and mentally screamed at his erection to go away. When that didn’t work he threw himself down and buried his face in his pillow. He felt his fingers slowly creeping towards his phone and he pulled it back. As much as he missed her and wanted to hear her voice, he refused to call her. She was busy at the station and he wasn’t a love sick teenager, he could wait one day to see her, right?

As he wrapped his hand around the small cellular device he realized that he really was a goner; his pesky princess had entrapped him and he was completely okay with being hers.

“I hope you have a really good reason for interrupting me doing nothing,” Emma teased by way of a greeting. He smirked and pushed himself off of the mattress until he was seated with his back against the headboard.

“Why, yes, Sheriff, I’ve called to report a disturbance,” he teased. Sure, he just wanted to hear her voice, but he wasn’t stupid enough in love with her to admit that, he _was_ still a man after all; well…he shook his head of all of those kinds of thoughts.

Emma chuckled on the other end of the line and he could hear her shuffling papers followed by a creak from her chair. He imagined her leaning back and twirling it slightly from side to side as she took a break from whatever task he’d interrupted.

“Well, _Mister_ Booth, where is this disturbance and can you describe it to me?”

“If you must know, _Sheriff_ , it’s um…” He glanced out the window as he tried to find words befitting some proper flirting without making his ‘situation’ worse. “Howling. Outside of the Inn. Quite loud and a bit alarming. Someone’s life may be in danger, perhaps you should come investigate, and I could help, I wouldn’t want this fine city to lose its upstanding Sheriff to a wild animal.”

He could almost hear her roll her eyes.

“It’s probably just Pongo.”

“Okay, but if it’s not and I’m ravaged in the middle of the night, that will be on your conscience forever.”

“’Ravage’? Are you sure the disturbance isn’t really in your pants and this is some half-assed attempt to get me over to the Inn where you can trick me into your hotel room?”

He smirked and rested his head against the cool wood of his bed.

“My, my, Sheriff, I do believe you’re breaking some sort of ethics code by speaking to me in such a manner. I’m nothing more than a concerned citizen, however, if you insist on coming into my room I’ll be powerless to stop you.”

A twitch in his boxers reminded him that he would gladly be her prisoner for the night.

“Whatever you say, August. As much as I’d love to come ‘investigate’ this disturbance of yours, I’m waiting on a preliminary report on the heart. The lab should know whether it’s human or not by now.”

“Ems…” They both knew she was just trying to keep a futile hope alive.

“I know, I know, but…” He knew she’d given a small shrug. They’d only been back in each other’s lives for a few weeks but he knew her better than he knew the back of his own hand. He smiled at the realization.

“Want me to bring you something from the diner? You’ve been holed up in that office all day, have you even had dinner?”

“Mary Margaret brought me a grilled cheese earlier, don’t worry about it.”

“I always worry about you,” August replied before he could stop himself. He heard her gasp quietly before faltering.

“Um…I…I should go before Regina bursts in because she’s been tapping the phone lines or something. I’ll see you tomorrow for dinner?”

“Of course, don’t work too hard.”

She snorted before disconnecting the line and he sighed as he slammed the phone shut. He tapped it on his forehead a few times before discarding it and lying down with a groan. She was going to be the death of-

His phone beeped twice and he glanced over to find a red light blinking on it. He knew only one person would be messaging him, scratch that, two, but he hoped it was Emma and not Ruby texting him. He grabbed the phone and made his way to the small bathroom adjoined to his room so he could brush his teeth before settling in for the evening. He flipped open the screen and nearly fell over a chair as he read Emma’s message.

_So, is there a disturbance in your pants?_

Was she serious? He could never tell with her, she kept him on his toes.

_I’m not wearing any pants_ , he texted back.

Okay, that was a lie. He glanced down at his loose sweat pants in disgust. He couldn’t bear to see his own leg; it was just reminder of all of his failures. He didn’t like sleeping in clothes but it was better to be a bit uncomfortable than to have to explain why his leg was wooden in the event someone, like his spunky Sheriff, decided to burst into his room unannounced.

He sighed as he scrubbed his face, wondering how he’d keep her at bay. Sure, he’d meant what he’d said about taking things slow but he’d realized later that no matter how much he wanted her, it could never happen. The second they got naked she’d see his leg and…

Or even worse, she wouldn’t, which meant…

Well, it would mean he had a lot more work to do on the helping her believe front.

He dried off and moved back into his room as the phone alerted him to another message.

_Too bad, I was looking forward to taking them off. Though, I suppose it will make the strip search I’m planning to perform on you even easier._

He swallowed hard.

_You saucy little minx, are you intent on killing me?_

The return message came before he could close the phone.

_No, I intend to collect on that propose to ‘come in ways I didn’t know were possible’._

He chuckled and shook his head as he slipped into bed. He closed his eyes for a moment. This was bad, he was here to right his wrongs, to break the curse, to save his father not to…

Fall in love with a stubborn Princess. Feeling this way about her complicated everything but he didn’t want to stop. He would just have to adjust his plans. It was selfish to want it all and to hope at the end that she wouldn’t hate him but it was in his nature to be selfish.

And he couldn’t walk away from her even if he tried. She was a part of him now.

_Soon_ , he sent back before setting the phone off to the side and settling in for a rough night of dreams starring his little blond vixen.


	60. Turning Tables

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our idiots in leather jackets behave like two adorable assholes in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dedicate this chapter to my wife who also has a thing for the outfit Emma wears in ‘The Thing You Love Most’ (which is the outfit she keeps taunting August with in this chapter, obviously). Enjoy the sexiness, keyboard smash, whatever you feel you need to do.

“You’re staring again,” Emma said with a small smile on her lips as she cracked open an egg. He’d shown up early with breakfast, made lunch, and had intentions of making dinner, the least she could do was pour things from a box into a bowl, stir it, throw it in the oven, and call it a cake.

She glanced up to find him watching her with a goofy look on his face and she sighed with a small shake of her head.

“What? I can’t help it, you look absolutely effulgent, Princess.”

“You’re not going to stop calling me that, are you,” she asked in an annoyed tone.

“Never,” he whispered with his voice full of reverence. A small blush went through her and she rolled her eyes in an attempt to shake off the feelings he gave her. She mixed the cake batter and sighed.

“I don’t know why you’re so enamored with me today, it’s not like I’m wearing anything special.” She was literally in a pair of jeans, some boots, a tank top, and a long-sleeved shirt she’d grabbed in haste when he’d shown up early; nothing fancy.

August made a small noise that was half protest and half growl and she couldn’t help but smirk. She heard his stool scrape across the floor before his hands grasped her waist from behind. He pressed his lips to her shoulder and then her neck while his fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt.

“I disagree, Princess. This shirt hugs you in all of the right places and I can see through it, which is always a plus in my book.” She rolled her eyes but let him continue. “And these are always lovely,” he whispered, toying with her loose curls. “They make you look like the Princess you are.”

“Now you sound like Henry,” she replied irritably.

He smirked and pulled her flush against him. She could feel the heat of his breath on her ear and it sent shivers through her body.

“Maybe but Henry isn’t the one who gets turned on by the way those boots hug your legs. I wouldn’t mind slipping those off and-“

“Calm down, writer boy. I’m trying to bake a cake, I have no time for sex talk,” Emma teased, hoping he couldn’t tell that her pulse was racing. She was torn between wanting to rip his clothes off and waiting. On the one hand, he was probably amazing in bed and she’d be lying if she said she couldn’t use a good orgasm. On the other she liked the way their relationship was right now. If they had sex…

Well, men didn’t usually stick around once they got in her pants.

She glanced down to mix her batter some more and to hide her face. He didn’t need to know that he terrified her. She wasn’t used to feeling this way, not since Henry’s father, and it was made worse because she trusted August. She believed his feelings for her were real, which gave him the power to hurt her. In her experiences love only led to disappointment and pain and if she could put that off for just a bit longer, she would.

“What’s wrong?” He whispered as he kissed her hair.

“I think I overbeat this batter,” she lied easily as she poured it into one of Mary Margaret’s pans.

“You’re supposed to grease the pan first,” he taunted and she scrunched up her nose with a frown. He chuckled and kissed her nose before reaching for the bowl. “But I’m sure it’ll be fine and if not, at least we get to lick to bowl.”

Emma pouted and used her ass to shove him off of her so she could stick the cake in the oven. She could feel his eyes on her and she shook her head. He wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was perving on her.

“See something you like?”

“I see lots of things I like, but you won’t let me touch them.”

“And here I thought I was the horny one. You were all about waiting two days ago,” she reminded him.

“That’s before you started trying to kill me, woman,” he huffed.

She smiled innocently and shrugged.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

So she _may_ have been finding excuses to touch him and kiss him and turn him on, but the last time she checked none of those things were causes of death. Blue balls, maybe, but not death. But it was only fair; he walked around all mysterious and sexy all of the time, driving her crazy, it would do him good to have the tables turned on him a bit.

“I dreamt of you last night.”

She turned to find him smirking and she rested her elbows on the counter to watch him lick cake batter off of his fingers. He wasn’t even doing it in a sexual way but it still aroused her.

“Is that so? What kind of dream?

He gave her one of his infuriating smirks and shook his head.

“You’re not ready for it.”

She was mildly offended. First, because what was the point in telling her he’d dreamt about her if he wasn’t planning on sharing said dream. Two, because that sounded like something Henry had once told her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what perverse dreams August had about her, but now she was curious. This seemed to be his game, be all mysterious and enticing so he could suck her in, but she wasn’t going to let him win this time.

“I’m sure I can handle whatever it is you think you can throw at me, Mr. Booth,” she assured as she scooped some cake batter onto her finger. She slowly licked it off, making sure to do it as suggestively as possible and he laughed.

“It wasn’t that kind of dream, though; I do have plenty of those. Maybe you’d like to move to the couch where I can recreate some of those for you.”

She rolled her eyes.

“So if it wasn’t a sexy dream, what kind was it?”

“A recurring one,” he quipped as he reached for the bowl. She grabbed it first and pulled it away from him childishly. He reached out and smudged what was left of the batter on her fingers onto her nose and she reached for the first thing within reach, a spoon, and threw it at him.

She chuckled and he moved around the counter to grab her around the waist. She turned her head away from him before he could distract her with kisses but he had no intention of kissing her. He tickled her and leaned forward to lick the batter off her nose.

“Stop, I’m ticklish,” she protested. He smiled and kissed her cheek before releasing her. Emma used his momentary distraction to toss some batter his way. It landed on his neck and part of his shirt. She quickly rushed to the other side of the counter before he could catch her.

“That’s my favorite shirt,” he huffed as he chased her. She smirked, thinking it was a rather nice shirt. The way it opened to reveal his chest and show off that neck of his was quite tantalizing. He moved to grab her and she ran before he could accost her. However, there wasn’t much room to run and he eventually caught her and pulled her against him roughly. “You’re an evil little minx. I hope you know how to do laundry.”

Emma enjoyed being pressed against him and while she planned to make him wait for sex, she supposed letting him do other things wouldn’t be harmful.

“I’ll clean that right up for you then,” she whispered as she leaned up to clean the batter off with her mouth. A small whimper emerged from his lips and she smiled coyly, forgetting all about the cake in the oven.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma was truly evil. Since their date she’d used every possible opportunity available to her to sexually taunt him; kisses here and there when they had no time to do it properly, ass grabs, wearing sexy things to turn him, and being far more flirty than usual. Then when they were alone, she started things and waited until they’d heated up before stopping him cold turkey like she’d been doing all day. She was trying to get him back for all of those times he turned her down.

And it was working.

All he wanted to do was take the risk of her finding out about his leg and take her to bed. He wanted her, bad, and she was going to be the death of him.

But…

He knew how to play the game as well, so he’d stopped letting her get him riled up. He’d taken to making their flirty banter humorous instead of letting it become erotic and he was having fun fooling around in the kitchen with her. He’d even considered freaking her out by telling her all about his dreams starring their blue-eyed blonde progeny, but he knew better. If Emma thought he was that far ahead of her on the feelings scale she’d go running.

August watched as she tried to toy with him some more by licking chocolate off her fingers. He withheld a scoff as he reached out to return the favor and that’s when things got out of control. He had to admit, chasing her around the loft like they were children was amusing, but seeing her reaction to his body pressed against hers was even better.

“You’re an evil little minx,” he growled. Granny would kill him if he sent her laundry covered in chocolate. He’d seen a lot in his life but he really didn’t want to see her pissed off.  Emma squirmed against him and he smirked, rather enjoying the contact. “I hope you know how to do laundry.”

He could see the wheels turning in that beautiful mind of hers and he felt a small thrill of anticipation wondering what she was about to get up to.

“I’ll clean that right up for you then,” she replied, giving him a smoldering look before leaning up and running her tongue over his neck. He moaned and let her finish cleaning off the desert before pulling her mouth to his and kissing her hungrily. She tasted of chocolate and he smirked as he slowly walked her backwards until her body hit a wall. Her fingers moved into his hair as his lips left hers to explore her jawline and her slender neck.

“August,” she whimpered as he dragged his teeth across her shoulder. He reached down to grasp her and hoisted her up before pushing her against the wall. She moaned again as she wrapped her legs around him. He pressed into her and went for her lips once more.

They kissed fervently, pausing only for brief gulps of air before resuming their dance. He cursed their clothing, wishing he could feel her hot and naked against him while he tasted every inch of her. As he went for her shirt, needing more contact with her body, Emma slipped her hand into his jeans and grasped his bulge in her palm. He jerked his hips forward and groaned as she massaged him through his boxers.

“Sofa,” she commanded in between kisses.

“I thought you wanted to wait,” he groaned as she gave him a squeeze. He didn’t mind waiting, but the mixed signals were driving him insane.

“I do, but there are things you can do to me while we wait.”

August didn’t need to be told again. He held her against him as he carried her to the small couch and sat back so she could sit in his lap. She smirked at their position as if he’d have it any other way; she was the one in control, after all. She lifted her shirt over her head along with the tank top underneath and tossed them both to the side before ridding him of his stained shirt.

“Much better,” she commented before running her hands over his chest and crushing her mouth to his. August moved his hands down her back before cupping her ass. Emma smirked against his lips before grinding her pelvis against his package. He groaned and gave her ass a small slap before moving his mouth to her chest. His kissed his way over both of her mounds before wrapping his mouth around her hardened nipple through the thin fabric of her bra.

She hissed and dug her nails into his back as he nibbled on her delicate flesh. She continued to rock her hips over his and he growled against her bosom.

“If you don’t stop that, Princess, I’m going to have a very painful situation on my hands.” August wasn’t a fan of chaffing or being this hard with no chance of coming.

She brought his mouth to hers and kissed his jawline as her fingers made quick work of releasing him from the barrier of his jeans.

“Trust me, they’ll be no pain for you,” she replied before pressing her mouth to his. She kissed his briefly before trailing her lips over his chest. Once August realized what she was up to he sat up to stop her.

“Ems, you don’t have to-“

She placed two fingers on his lips to shut him up.

“I know but I want to. Now shut up, lie back, and take it like a good boy.”

He was sure this wasn’t what The Blue Fairy had in mind when she’d told him to be a ‘good boy’ but he’d take it; he found Emma’s definition to be far more enlightening.

“Holy fuck, Emma,” August growled as he moved a hand through her hair. A part of him felt guilty, if either one of them deserved to be serviced like this, it was her, not him. But her mouth was amazing. Unlike most women who approached it with a soft, delicate touch, she went for it.

And her hands?

“Fuck,” he groaned as he involuntarily thrust into her mouth as she gave him a harsh squeeze. He closed his eyes and did what she’d told him; he sat back and enjoyed with the knowledge that when she was done he was going to spend the rest of the evening paying her back for this and then some.

“Ems,” he warned, knowing he wouldn’t last much longer. She ignored him and instead ran her tongue along the underside of his shaft while she pumped away at him with her fist. “Emma, you don-Jesus-Fucking-Christ!” He cried as she took him into her mouth once more. He came a moment later but Emma didn’t stop. August moaned her name as she milked him completely dry, stopping only when he relaxed into the sofa cushions completely spent.

“Babe,” he muttered, caressing her hair as she kissed her way up his abdomen. Once she was close enough he pulled her against his chest and kissed her hard on the lips. “You’re brilliant,” he whispered against her lips as she smirked.

“You’re just saying that because you got som-“ He kissed her again, cutting her off. He kicked off his shoes and pulled her legs around his waist before flipping her onto her back. She grinned up at him as he tugged her tank top off of her head and rid her of her bra. He stared down at her, mesmerized for a moment before kissing her again.

His hands caressed her face as he deepened the kiss. He had an overwhelming feeling to tell her how he felt. All he wanted to do was hold her and whisper how much he loved her, but he knew better. He kept his mouth busy exploring hers as his hands slowly roamed over her body, touching every inch of her.

As soon as he was sure he could control himself his lips left hers and he kissed his way down the side of her throat and over her breasts. He palmed one, massaging it lightly, while he cupped the other with his hand and lowered his mouth to it. He placed small kisses over her soft skin before wrapping his lips around her hardened nipple. Emma gasped and he held back a smirk as he sucked on the small bud, lapping at it with his tongue. He continued to suckle on her until he left a small mark and then he repeated the actions on her other nipple.

By the time he finished he princess lay panting beneath him and he couldn’t help but smirk.

“I’m not done yet, Ems,” he whispered before kissing her. His hands moved to unbutton her jeans as she wrapped hers around the back of his neck.

“No, don’t-“ she pleaded as she broke the kiss.

“But-“

“Take me upstairs,” she insisted as her eyes met his.

“Are you sure?” He asked, knowing he couldn’t deny her anything. “You said you wanted to wai-“

He cut him off with a short kiss.

“I changed my mind. Now go, before I change it again.”

She gave him a small smile and he pressed his lips to hers before pulling her against his chest. He made sure he had a good hold on her before moving to stand. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears.

“Um…condoms?”

Emma wrapped both arms around him and began to nibble on his lower lip.

“Bathroom, you can grab the whole box on the way there.”

“The whole box, huh?”

“We have a lot of catching up to do,” she replied, moving her lips to his neck.

“And so I told him there was no way I was going to do _that_ on a first date and-“

“OH MY GOD!”

Emma screamed in surprised causing August to nearly drop her. He pulled her back against him and grabbed the nearest quilt from the armchair to cover her up with.

“Turn around, Jesus Christ, Ruby!” Emma yelled. Mary Margaret had already buried her head in the freezer from embarrassment and Emma hurriedly threw her clothes back on while August did the same.

“You have a _bedroom_ , Emma!” Mary Margaret scolded once she emerged from the freezer, completely red in the face from embarrassment.

“That’s where we were going and-ugh, come on.” She took hold of his arm and August was too mortified to point out that there was no way he could make love to her now, with her two best friends downstairs. They made it halfway up the stairs before his nose detected that something was off.

“Wait, did we leave the-“

The smoke alarm went off as Mary Margaret opened the oven to find Emma’s cake now on fire.

“Shit!” Emma pushed past him and ran to help Mary Margaret put out the fire. August and Ruby stood back as the two roommates argues while putting out the flames and he closed his eyes, too embarrassed to watch. Even if no one knew it but him, his girlfriend’s mom had just walked in on the two of them about to have sex. When the curse did break, he was going to have one angry Snow on his hands.

“You really can’t catch a break, can you, August?”

“Ruby-“ He started but Emma had something to say on the subject.

“Do the two of you have a ‘cockblock Emma’ alarm or something? Every fucking time!”

“Maybe the two of you should just get it on at the I-“

August covered Ruby’s mouth as Emma shot Ruby a death glare. He shook his head and Ruby understood now was not the time to taunt Emma.

“Ruby, why don’t you help Mary Margaret air out the apartment while Emma and I clean-up? I was going to make dinner anyway.”

Emma grumbled as Ruby led Mary Margaret off. They cleaned in silence and while Emma went to change out of her now reeking of smoke outfit August pulled out everything he’d prepared in advance for dinner. Lasagna wasn’t much, but it took a lot of prep work, which is why he’d gotten most of it ready while he’d made lunch. He stood behind Emma and led her hands in an effort to teach her how to cook. Halfway through he had her smiling again and Mary Margaret seemed less pissed off that she’d caught them naked before they’d nearly burnt down her loft.

August kissed the side of Emma’s neck as she finished topping the lasagna with cheese.

“Good job, Princess, now put it in the oven and try not to burn this one,” he teased, which earned him a smile from all three of the girls. Emma shot him a look which he took to mean they’d eventually pick things up where they left off and he kissed the top of her head before going to grab some wine. He watched from the corner of his eye as Mary Margaret and Emma made up. He smiled and vowed to make sure he did the same during dinner; when the time came to talk her daughter into marrying him he hoped to have her on his side.


	61. Little Black Dress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August attempts to take Emma on another date but things don’t go according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for my baby, Anna, who I’m afraid I might have broken with the last installment of our story. Also, I cannot believe I didn’t update this at all in May, I’m sorry and I feel horrible. To compensate, I’m going to try to update every few days. Everything up until the ‘Hat Trick’ stuff is done I just need to post it and then everyone yell at me to stop avoiding the ‘Hat Trick’ stuff because it’s the only thing that’s not done. Do that and I promise it will make me get my butt in gear since that’s what my wifey does; speaking of wives, thanks to mine for yelling at me to write her some porn. Happy Hump Day, Babes.

August pulled up to Emma’s building and parked his bike before brushing a hand through his hair. He kicked off of his old companion with a small sigh as he looked her over. He loved the old girl, but she made taking Emma out on proper dates damn near impossible. That red number she’d worn had just about given him a heart attack and he wanted to see more outfits like that.

Perhaps once things settled down, after they broke the curse, he’d buy a car; something simple to take her out on real dates in. That was, assuming she’d still speak to him afterwards.

He banished the thought from his mind as he made his way up to her apartment. Since their almost-love-making session, they’d spend nearly every moment together. Emma was waiting to hear back about the fingerprints and he found it hard to leave her side. Of course, they hadn’t been alone since the incident. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think Mary Margaret and Ruby had teamed up to make sure they didn’t wind up naked on the sofa again.  
                                                         
August missed having time alone with her, even if it was just talking, so he’d asked her out for another ‘real’ date. He’d get some time to himself with her and it would do her good to get away from Storybrooke, even if only for a few hours. Emma was spending so much time holed up either in her office or in her apartment that he was far past worried.

He knocked lightly on the door, making a mental note to bring flowers next time. They were cheesy, but she deserved them. She deserved every-

“Holy fuck.”

There were no words to describe the way she pulled back the door, gazing at him with a ‘come hither’ look, while looking like the definition of sex. Her hair was pulled back into a loose, braided bun. His fingers itched with the desire to pull her hair free and run themselves through her silky locks.  His eyes trailed down to her exposed neck. He gulped and made himself take in her whole outfit.

She was dressed in a short black dress that hugged her in all of the right places left her sexy shoulders exposed. He glanced up to meet her eyes. She gave him a challenging glare before smirking cockily as if to say ‘come inside and fuck me already, I dare you’.

He didn’t even need words. As if pulled by a magnetic force, August stepped forward, took her face in his hands, and crushed his mouth to hers. Emma kicked the door shut and pushed him against the cold steel frame as he trailed his hands over her sides. She smiled against his lips and he could feel triumph radiating off of her.

“Minx,” he muttered as he realized she never had any intention of leaving this apartment.

“Shut up and take me upstairs before someone comes home,” she commanded.

“Whatever you wish, Princess.”

He cupped his hands under her ass, giving it a squeeze before hoisting her onto his waist. Emma wrapped her legs around him as he pressed sloppy kisses to her neck and collarbone. He carried her carefully and by the time they reached the top of the stairs, his face was buried against her chest as his mouth left a mark between her breasts.

“You asshole, we’re not sixteen anymore,” Emma complained. He grinned and gave her a playful nip before pressing his mouth to hers again. August pulled the tie out of her hair and shook her braid loose until he was able to run his hand through her hair. He fell back onto the bed, pulling her down with him.

“We forgot the condoms downstairs,” Emma whined as she palmed the front of his trousers with a small moan. “Jesus, you’re so hard already.” August tugged her hair until he head fell back, exposing her neck. He pressed his lips against her pressure point, eliciting another moan.

“We don’t need them.” He moved his hands to her legs and slowly moved them up, pushing her dress up as he went.  Her breath hitched as he tugged down her lace panties. “Up,” he commanded so he could slip the thin, flimsy fabric over her knees and pull them off. Once she was rid of the damn things he slipped her single strap off of her shoulder until her perfect breasts were exposed. He lowered his head to take a nipple into his mouth and smirked when he saw all of the bruises he’d already tainted her with the other night.

“Sorry about those,” he muttered against her skin, not actually sorry. He was sure she’d find some way to pay him back for those and his cock twitched at the thought.

“No you’re no-oh!” He sunk his teeth into her flesh and sucked, hard. Her fingers toyed with the hairs on the back of his neck until she went limp against him. She splayed her hands over his chest and leaned into his touch, panting quietly. August broke away from her momentarily to bring his fingers to his mouth.

“Fuck,” she breathed, eyes wide as she watched him move his hand back to where they belonged; between her thighs. His eyes flitted up to meet her gaze, which he held as he slipped his now wet fingers between her folds.

Emma let out a small moan before biting her lower lip. He withheld a grin as his expert fingers delved into her, pressing all the right buttons, and touching all the right places. He held her eyes until his thumb pressed against her clit just as the pad of his fingers found her g-spot.

“ _August_!” She cried as she jerked in surprise. A long string of profanities left her swollen lips as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. She grabbed his shirt and slowly began to rock her hips against his hand. He smirked into her hair before seeking out her lips once more.

He kissed her fervently, with one hand tangled in her hair as he worked his fingers swiftly. She bit his lower lip harshly before suckling on it, moaning his name into his mouth as she came.

“You bastard, I hate you,” she said as he released her.

“Liar,” he whispered as he moved his lips to her neck. Emma pressed herself against his erection with a small whimper.

“August,” she begged with her fists clutching his shirt.

He smirked against her skin before hitching one of her legs around his waist and flipping her onto her back. She smiled up at him as he leaned down to claim her lips.

“Finally,” she muttered as she slipped her hands into his jeans. She broke the kiss and leaned up to press a small kiss to his Adam’s apple. A shiver ran through his spine as her lips made contact with his skin and he growled in arousal.

“Princess,” he warned as she took hold of him firmly in her hand.

“Batman,” she retorted. August gave her a small glare but she didn’t catch it. She wrapped her lips around the small protrusion in his neck and sucked. He groaned, digging his fingers in her hair as he held her close. He was sure there would be a mark in the morning, her revenge, but he didn’t care. It felt fucking amazing.

He moved his hands over her shoulders and carefully peeled her dress off, not wanting to lose contact with her. He tossed it aside and pulled her closer. Emma released him, much to his chagrin, and lapped her tongue over the now bruised skin of his neck. He moaned in appreciation as she trailed her tongue over his collarbone. As much as he was enjoying this, he knew where this was headed and he wasn’t having any of it; she’d given him the best blowjob of his life the other night and he planned to return the favor, not selfishly allow her to do all of the work again.

“I don’t think so, Princess,” he chastised as he pressed her into the mattress and held her wrists above her head with one hand. She began to protest but her words died on her lips as he buried his face between her legs. She smelled sweet, like honeysuckle and as he pressed his tongue to her still wet center, he discovered that’s how she tasted as well.

“Oh, August,” she sighed as he released her wrists. She moved her fingernails over his scalp in a way that sent goose bumps up his arms.

Minutes later, as she gave his hair a sharp tug and pressed herself into his mouth, he sensed that she was close. He flicked his tongue over her small bundle of nerves before sucking on the hardened nub while his fingers explored her.

“Almost,” she moaned as she clutched her comforter with one hand.

The front door opened and August froze for a brief moment. There was no way in _hell_ he was letting Mary Margaret interrupt them again.

“Emma? Are you here?” Mary Margaret called.

“I thought they had a date?” Ruby hissed, having the decency to realize they were probably busy.

“But their cars are-“

“What are you doing?” Emma hissed as he fumbled to cover her mouth with his hand. “Just sto-oh God,” she moaned a little too loudly. August was determined to get her to finish. He’d lock her away in his room at the Inn if that’s what it took to get a few uninterrupted hours with her where he would please her in every way possible. “Don’t stop.”

He covered her mouth to stifle her moans as he quickly worked to get her to come. She moaned again behind his mouth. His hand slipped as he pulled her closer.

“I’m coming!” She cried out, loud enough to fill the entire loft. She covered her mouth quickly, just in time to let out a muffled cry as she finally came.

“See, told you she was here. We brought pizza!” Mary Margaret called. Emma lay back as August sat up to wipe off his mouth and fought back a giggle by pressing her fist to her mouth.

“Seriously,” August hissed in annoyance as Emma pulled him down for a kiss.

“Let’s do that again,” she whispered. She looked adorable; rosy cheeks, messy hair, and a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“They think you’re coming down there,” he reminded her. “Because they’re always here.”

“We’ll go to the Inn next time,” she promised as she took hold of him again.

“No-“

“Emma?”

“Yeah! I fell on our way out for our date, August’s helping me change. We’ll be right down!”

“You’re such a-Jesus, Emma.” She gripped him tightly and gave him a long, challenging stare. When Emma set her mind to something, she was going to get her way no matter what. Knowing better than to argue with her, he lay back on the pillows and let her polish his aching cock. He’d been hard for so long it didn’t take her more than a few moments to get him off.

“Come here,” he whispered, pulling her down by the back of her neck to give her a long, satisfying kiss.

“Later,” she whispered.

“What?”

“You know what. I told you, we’re using that whole box; we have a lot of interrupted sessions to make up for. Soon,” she promised with a quick kiss before hopping off the bed to throw on some sweat pants.

August adjusted his clothing and watched her with a small smile. She was something else, his princess. He could feel the goofy, love-struck look on his face, but he didn’t care. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, inside and out, even in old, gray sweatpants and a holey Red Sox t-shirt.

He was completely and irrevocably in love with her and one of these days he was going to slip and tell her how he felt without realizing it.

Today wasn’t that day.

“What?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder.

“Nothing, you’re just…gorgeous.”

Emma wrinkled her nose and scoffed.

“Okay, yeah, whatever. Come on, you need to help me limp down the stairs to make this believable. I’m not in the mood for any of Ruby’s sexual innuendos tonight.”

“What are you in the mood for, then?”

She grinned.

“Faking that I don’t feel well so we can come back up here and…’talk’.”

August didn’t mind that one bit. He scooped her up into his arms, to her annoyance, and pressed a kiss to her temple before carrying her down the stairs.

He was definitely going to slip up one of these days, but he’d do his best to keep his mouth busy anytime he wanted to say the words.

_I love you, Emma._


	62. David

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma still doesn’t believe David is guilty.

“So…you found something but you can’t tell me what it is?”

Emma watched David guiltily. He sat across from her desk and she let out a small sigh. She hadn’t wanted to tell him anything until today, thinking they’d at least know if the heart was human or not by now, but bureaucracy was a bitch. As was having to send everything out to the county for testing because Storybrooke had jack shit as far as a coroner or any sort of laboratories.

Hell, Whale seemed to be the only damn doctor they had. How in the hell did this town manage?

“I’m sorry, David, I am, but my hands are tied. As soon as I have something concrete to tell you, I will, but…” She was wary of speaking ill of Regina in front of him. Regina seemed to have him, along with most of the town fooled, and she was too smart to risk losing his favor by mentioning her. “I don’t want to hurt this investigation, for Kathryn’s sake, I’m sorry.”

David nodded with a small sigh.

Emma watched him. She knew men. Men who lied, men who cheated, men who stole, abused women, drank too much, and who were killers. David had the lying thing down, sure, but not about this. David wasn’t a killer. If that heart was Kathryn’s, she knew in her heart that he had nothing to do with it.

Without meaning to, she reached out to take his hand, giving it a small squeeze.

“I promise you, David, I’m going to find out what happened. Until I do just be patient. And…” Emma stopped herself, not wanting to intrude on Mary Margaret’s love life.

“And what?”

She hesitated, but knew this was best.

“Maybe it would be best if you and Mary Margaret stayed away from one another.” As soon as the words left her mouth she knew he wouldn’t listen, neither would Mary Margaret. They loved each other and they’d undoubtedly find reasons to be together. But she had to try, for Mary Margaret’s sake. “People are already talking like she’s behind this, if things…” Emma sighed. “If something did happen to Kathryn, people are going to see her burn for it. In their mind, she’s already guilty. The two of you, being seen together, is only going to make that worse. We both love her, David, and I’ll do my best to protect her but I can’t do it alone.

I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but…it’s just something to consider.”

For his credit, he did seem to at least be considering it.

“Thanks, Emma, I should go, I have a shift at the shelter.”

Graham crossed her mind for a moment and her heart ached. She gave David a small nod as she toyed with her badge.

“I’ll let you know something when I can.”

David stood but hesitated.

“Are you okay? You just…is it something I said?”

Emma glanced up and gave him a smile.

“No, I’m just…I just want to find her. I’ll see you soon, David.”

He gave her a small nod and she sighed and leaned back in her chair. She hated that she couldn’t help but feel sad over Graham from time to time. And then she’d feel guilty for not wanting to miss him. It was a viscous, stupid, sick cycle.

One she needed to get over.

At least she had August now.

Her phone beeped and she flipped it open to find a message from the devil himself. She toyed with the hem of her turtleneck, annoyed that her neck looked like a teenager’s. She smirked in amusement as she remembered he’d have to wear one too. Or that bandana of his.

Heat rushed through her as their night rushed through her mind. In between trying to bully people into getting the results back faster and stressing over the case, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. He’d been amazing. The way his fingers drew over her skin, the feel of his tongue and his kisses…

She flushed at the thought.

She’d been with a lot of men, but none that made her feel the way he did. None who put her first. And…hell, they hadn’t even had sex yet. She couldn’t even imagine how amazing that would be, especially if last night was any indication.

“I hope that smile’s for me or I’m going to have to do something that may get me arrested.”

She looked up to find August leaning in the doorframe, smiling at her with that stupid shit-eating look of his. She swirled in her chair and shrugged.

“Maybe. Nice bandana.”

He narrowed his eyes before rolling them.

“A pesky little bird attacked me, a swan, I think it was.”

“Hmm, well, maybe you deserved it. From what I hear, you enjoy humiliating your girlfriends.”

“Now, now, don’t give me that. You were begging to do it again when I finished,” he teased.

A small smile tugged at her lips and she shook her head.

“Well, you’re lucky they didn’t catch on, I don’t think I could listen to more of Ruby’s bullshit. I love her, but that poor girl is sex starved. Someone needs to give it to her and soon so I can stop hearing about it.”

“Amen.”

Emma shook her head and stood to grab her things.

“Ready to go?”

“Yes, I’m starving. I forgot to eat lu-“

August grabbed her by the waist and leaned in to place his lips on hers. Emma lost her train of thought and returned the kiss.

“Well, then,” she whispered when he broke away.

“I forgot to say ‘hello’.”

“That was a ‘hello’ kiss? I can’t wait to see what a ‘see you later’ kiss is like.”

He smirked.

“Well, I’ll show you tonight, come on.” He held his hand out and she took it happily.

“Granny’s?”

“Is there anywhere else in this town?” He replied.

“No,” she said seriously as she locked up. She rested her hand on the door and sighed as she remembered Graham again. She missed him and she’d always miss him but…

August pressed a kiss to her temple and she smiled.

 _Thank you, Graham_ , she thought. If it wasn’t for him, she’d still be closed off to everyone. She hoped that wherever he was, he was happy.

She smiled again and pulled her writer against her.

“Here, you drive, I’m exhausted,” she said as she handed him the keys. He gazed down at her for a moment, with a peculiar look on his face before leaning down to kiss her slowly. He pulled away and continued to gaze at her with a strange expression as they got into the bug.

“What?” She didn’t like that look, it made her feel….odd. And like he was keeping something from her and she wasn’t sure that she liked it.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t ‘nothing’ me.”

August turned on the car and glanced over with grin.

“You’re not ready for it.”

“Why does _everyone_ tell me that?” She asked, exasperated. He chuckled and took her hand before placing a small kiss on the back of it.

“Don’t worry, you will be, soon, I promise.”


	63. The Results

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma gets the test results.

Emma lifted a French fry to her mouth before jumping to her feet and yelling at the damn TV.

“What the hell? That’s not how you throw a ball,” she screamed, ready to throw the remote. Mary Margaret’s tiny television wasn’t ideal for watching a ball game, especially when Emma was used to seeing them live at Fenway Park, but it had to do, at least until she could buy a bigger TV. Hell, if the Sox were going to keep playing shitty baseball, she really didn’t see the point.

“You’re really into this, aren’t you?” August asked, stifling a laugh.

“How do you not like baseball? It’s the American sport.”

“I’m not really American.”

She glanced over and gave him a skeptical look.

“Excuse me?”

“I’ve spent most of my adult live traveling around Europe and Asia and it wasn’t like my American upbringing was traditional in any way. I never had a chance to learn to appreciate the game.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Baseball is big in Japan, you’re just a loser,” she huffed before finishing off her soda and throwing herself back onto the sofa. August wrapped an arm around her and kissed the side of her head.

“Well, you’re adorable.”

“Am I now?” She asked as the game broke for commercial. She glanced over to find him watching her with that look again. She still couldn’t figure out what it was, but she’d learned to like it. It gave her the warm and fuzzies and not in a sexual way. No, it was something else, something she’d forgotten how to feel.

“Indeed.”

She smirked and flung a leg over his waist before straddling his lap.

“Would you like to show me how adorable you find me to be? Since I’m the Sheriff, I think I can take an extended lunch break.”

“Oh, I think we can arrange that,” August replied with a smile before leaning up to kiss her. She grinned and returned the kiss, moving her fingers into his hair. They’d spent the past two nights kissing on the sofa. She’d been ready to have him on every surface of the apartment, but she’d come to appreciate this whole taking it slow thing. She’d never really gotten to do the dating thing right; stolen glances, kisses, foreplay, sneaking around, and behaving like two idiots in lust. She was enjoying it.

Plus, with the case, it seemed wrong be worried about her stupid love life. She’d deal with things as they came and for now, this was perfect.

“Hmm, you’re lucky I don’t have the heart to watch those damn Yankees lick us, or you wouldn’t be getting any action, mister,” she teased.

August kissed her chin and then her nose before kissing her lips firmly.

“Well then, I’ll be sure to send Joe Girardi my regards.”

Emma smacked him in the chest.

“You do know baseball.”

He smirked.

“Of course I do, baby, I just love seeing you riled up.”

She laughed and kissed him as she prepared to ask him what his favorite team was. Her phone rang, interrupting their make-out session. She groaned and pressed her lips to his for a final moment before reaching over to grab the damn thing.

“Sheriff,” she answered. She listened for a moment and her face began to fall. The air left her chest and her heart began to pound loudly in her chest.

“Ems?” August whispered, concern etched onto his face.

She raised a finger to shush him as she nodded.

“I see. And you’re sure? And it’s…human? Right. How long until you can compare it to the hair I sent you from her hairbrush? I…I see. Okay, well, keep me posted. Thanks for not waiting until the morning to let me know. Goodnight.”

Emma slowly lowered the phone and closed it.

“Emma?” August placed a hand on her shoulder gently and she pushed it away so she could stand. Tears came to her eyes as she forgot how to breathe.

“Emma!”

Emma broke. Her heart felt like it was breaking and she couldn’t control the sobs that came out of her chest. August took hold of her and crushed her against his chest. She fought him for a moment, until she realized his arms were the only place that she felt safe. He stroked her hair and hushed her as she completely lost control of her emotions.

“Kathryn’s dead, isn’t she?” He whispered as her sobs became more controlled.

She nodded and clutched his shirt, sniffling and trying to catch her breath.

“I’m sorry, Emma, but now you can find out who did this-“

“NO! THAT’S THE PROBLEM! THEY THINK-THEY-“

Emma sobbed and pulled away from him so she could pace the room. He followed and she flung out curses until it finally hit her. She froze and looked over to him.

“There were fingerprints on the box. They were Mary Margaret’s! I have to arrest her for murder. Now. I have to go find the only family I have and arrest her for something I know she didn’t do but…”

“It’s your job.”

She nodded. August pulled her back against his chest and kissed the top of her head. She was grateful for the comfort. He held her close and she hugged him back tightly.

“You need to do your job, Emma; for Henry and for Mary Margaret. If Regina finds a reason to get you out of office, whoever she puts in there will do everything in their power to send Mary Margaret away from this. Arrest her, to make Regina happy, and then we’re going to work our asses off to make sure we find enough evidence to find out who really did this. Or, at the very least, to prove Mary Margaret is innocent.”

She smiled and looked up at him through her tear-filled eyes.

“We?”

He smiled.

“I hate to break this to you, Sheriff, but Mary Margaret isn’t the only family you have in this town. Neither is Henry. You’re stuck with me.”

She smiled and leaned up to place a short kiss on his lips.

“I should go, before someone calls Regina and she has my ass on a platter for not getting to it. Will you…”

“I’ll go back to my place and write for a bit and then pick Henry up from school. I’ll get him a milkshake at the diner, make sure none of the gossip reaches his ears and then I’ll come back here and make dinner so that whenever you get time to come home, there’ll be something waiting for you.”

She smiled and kissed him again.

“You’re…” she sighed. She touched his cheek before moving to get her things. She thanked whatever deity there was in the sky for him. She had a feeling she was going to need him a lot over the next few days and she was grateful to know that she wasn’t alone anymore.


	64. Heart-Shaped Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma's forced to arrest her best friend.

Emma slammed the door to her cruised and let out a long, shaky sigh as she looked at the entrance to the animal shelter. She felt sick with guilt over what she was about to do and she felt extremely heartbroken over how much pain poor David was about to be in. Not only was he about to find out his wife was dead but that his girlfriend was the only suspect in her murder.

With a heavy heart and acidic stomach Emma slowly made her way up the walkway and into the small shelter that only made her feel worse because it reminded her of Graham.

She caught sight of Mary Margaret taking David’s hand through the glass door before David noticed her and stood quickly.

“What is it? Did you find her?”

Emma’s eyes met Mary Margaret’s for a fleeting moment before she turned her attention back to David.

“We found a box.”

“Wait… wait…what does that mean?”

“We think it…we think that she…” The words welt up in her throat and she struggled to get them out.

“What?”

“There was a human heart inside it.”

“Oh, my God,” Mary Margaret whispered, realizing what the confirmation meant.

Emma stood in an awkward silence as David broke down in tears. She wasn’t an affectionate person, but even she felt the need to reach out to hold him. Mary Margaret beat her too it and she sighed in relief, sure she’d mess up trying to comfort him somehow.

“No…no…” David whispered through sobs.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Emma gathered what nerve she had left to continue.

“We’re going to send it out for some tests, but there aren’t any other missing people.”

This only made the crying worse. Mary Margaret shot her a glare and Emma withheld a sigh. What the hell did she want her to do? Lie to him? This was her job.

“Maybe you should go.”

“There’s more,” Emma said a bit bitchier than she’d intended. She took a small breath to calm herself. She knew Mary Margaret meant well and there were more important things at hand. Besides, after what she was about to do, Mary Margaret deserved to be angry.

“What?”

“There were fingerprints inside the lid of the box. I ran them through the records of everyone in town and there was a match.”

“Arrest me!” David cried.

“No, David!”

“Arrest me, Emma. Do it!”

Emma closed her eyes, not sure she had the strength to do this. She opened them and gave them both a long, sad look. She could feel her heart breaking, much like it had the night she’d handed Henry over to be raised by strangers and slowly found her voice.

“David, the fingerprints weren’t yours.”

“What?” He whispered in surprise.

“They were Mary Margaret’s.”

Mary Margaret stared back at Emma in shock and indignation before shaking her head and sputtering.

“No…this is insane!”

David pulled away from her slowly before backing away.

“David, no, I didn’t-“

“Mary Margaret Blanchard, you’re under arrest for the murder of Kathryn Nolan.”

“Emma, this is insane-“

Emma withdrew her cuffs and gave Mary Margaret a small shake.

“Please turn around.”

Her hands shook as she cuffed the first person in her life that she could truly call family and led her out of the room.

“Just, wait until we’re in the car,” Emma whispered. She had to make this look as real as possible in front of David. As Emma slowly helped Mary Margaret into the back of the cruiser she caught sight of Regina watching from her car with a sick grin on her face. Anger boiled in Emma’s veins.

She wasn’t sure how or why but she knew full well that Regina was behind this and she was determined to find out how and why and to expose her for the sick sociopath she was.

Emma held eye contact with her rival for a long moment before slamming the door shut and climbing into the cruiser.


	65. The Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary Margaret's interrogation.

“Please turn to the right.” Emma instructed as she changed out the film the in the camera. The car ride had been long and awkward even though they’d only driven a few blocks. Emma had tried to tell Mary Margaret how this was all necessary, but she’d remained silent the entire drive, glaring holes into the back of Emma’s head.

“Emma, this is a mistake. I didn’t kill Kathryn.”

Good, the silent treatment was over. 

“Of course you didn’t. But, while I am your friend, I am also the Sheriff and I have to go where the evidence leads.”

“Which points to me? Emma, yesterday it was David. There’s something not right here.”

That was the understatement of the century. 

“I know. But, your fingerprints were on that box and his are not. So now we have to deal with this.”

“Evidence that says I cut out Kathryn’s heart…and buried it in the woods? This is insane!”

With a long sigh Emma placed a hand on Mary Margaret’s shoulder.

“If I don’t book you, with all this evidence, it’s going to look like favoritism and then Regina will have cause and she will fire me. And then, you know what she’ll do? She’ll bring in someone who will railroad you. 

So, please just try to be patient and trust me. 

We can’t even move forward till we verify the heart belonged to Kathryn. And I am still waiting for the DNA test results. But, in the meantime, you need to bear with me.”

Mary Margaret sighed and nodded.

“I have to ask you a few questions.”

“This is crazy. I would never hurt anyone.”

Emma led her to the interrogation room slowly.

“I know that, but someone wants to make it look like you have and until I can prove who is doing that, I need to do this by the book. Just trust me, okay?”

“I’ll try.”

That was better than nothing.

Emma swung open the door to the interrogation room and while she was not surprised to find Regina there, the sight of her annoyed Emma to the point where the big vein in her head began to throb.

“Hello, Miss Blanchard.”

“What is she doing here?” Mary Margaret asked, going on the defensive.

“She asked to be here as a third party to make sure that I stay impartial.” Emma helped Mary Margaret into her chair before taking her own seat. “It can only help you,” she insisted, giving Mary Margaret a ‘please just trust me’ look. 

Mary Margaret sat up straight in her chair and put on her bravest face.

“I have nothing to hide. Ask me anything.”

Emma turned on her tape recorder and flipped open the small file she’d gathered on the case.

“The heart was found buried near the old Toll Bridge. It had been cut out by what appears to be a hunting knife. Have you ever been to that bridge before?”

“Yes, many times. It’s where David and I liked to meet.”

Emma could almost feel Regina’s glee radiating off of her. 

“Mr. Nolan?”

“Yes.”

“And, you met there…” Emma cleared her throat uncomfortably, “for what purpose?

“We were having an affair. I’m not proud of what happened and I’m sorry, but that doesn’t change the fact that I did not kill Kathryn.”

Emma stood and moved to the evidence cabinet. She slowly removed the jewelry box and placed it on the table in front of Mary Margaret.

“Have you ever seen this before?”

“Yes, it’s my jewelry box,” Mary Margaret stammered.

Emma’s heart fell from her chest into the pit of her stomach. How had she not realized it before? How many times had she been in Mary Margaret’s bedroom and seen her take things out of that box? She mentally kicked herself for not putting it together sooner. 

“That’s what we found the heart in,” Emma said weakly.

Whoever was doing this was doing it well. They were three steps ahead of Emma and this was one game she could not afford to lose. Regina was a worthy adversary and one Emma suspected was far better at this than Emma could ever perceive to be, but she refused to give up. This only fueled her desire to prove Mary Margaret’s innocence, no matter what it took. 

“Don’t you see what’s happening here? Someone stole that box and put the heart in it. I didn’t have anything to do with it. I’m innocent!”

“Miss Blanchard, it’s okay,” Regina spoke in a voice like honey, but very much in a patronizing tone. “I know what you’re going through. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love; to be publicly humiliated. It put me in a very dark place; changed me. I can only imagine what losing David Nolan did to you.”

“But, I haven’t changed! I’m still the same person I’ve always been; a good person. I did not do this!”

“Can I speak to you in the hallway, please,” Emma said. It was a command, not a request. Regina had been toeing the line ever since she requested to be here and she’d officially crossed it and pissed Emma off in the process. 

It took all of the self-control Emma still possessed not to physically pull Regina into the hallway with her.

“I told you to leave the questioning to me.”

“How do you know she didn’t do it? 

If that box was stolen from her as she claims, don’t you think there’d be signs of a break in?”

Emma glared at Regina, wishing she’d punched her harder in that cemetery.

“Well, you’re her roommate. Tell me, has there been a break in? 

She is a woman who’s had her heart broken, and that,” Regina almost smiled, “that can make you do unspeakable things.”

“I think it’s time for you to leave, Madam Mayor. I have work to do and you clearly are incapable of being impartial. Kathryn was your friend, wasn’t she? I’ll be sure to let the District Attorney know there’s a conflict of interest if you see yourself having a problem in behaving professionally,” Emma snapped before going back into the interrogation room, slamming the door shut as she went.

“Sorry, Mary Margaret, I need to put you in lock-up now…but I’ll bring you dinner later and a change of clothes.”

Mary Margaret looked up with tears in her eyes and nodded weakly.

“I’m going to prove your innocent, I promise,” Emma whispered fiercely. She was determined to save her best friend, even if Mary Margaret didn’t have faith in her.


	66. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Henry search the loft for signs of a break-in.

Emma left Mary Margaret in the care of the only deputy she trusted not to report back to Regina and made her way back home. While she hated to find wisdom in anything that came out of Regina’s mouth, Regina had made a good point. If someone stole the box there would have to be signs of a break-in and as Sheriff, if Emma had missed that…

Well, she didn’t want to give Regina the satisfaction yet on the other hand, she really hoped she found something. Though, she suspected with Regina most likely being involved, there wouldn’t be which only pissed Emma off even further.

She began by checking each lock and window on her way in. They were low enough that it wasn’t impossible for someone to break-in, but she doubted anyone could break in on the top level, it was too high up, but she started in her room anyway. She made her way downstairs and looked around but nothing was out of place, nothing was broken, and everything was just the way it should be.

She sighed, realizing she wouldn’t find anything, but just in case, she began to double-check.

A floorboard creaked behind her and she turned to find Henry entering the apartment. Anger flared in her chest. Regina was the worst mother ever. Did she ever keep track of this kid?

“Henry, what are you doing here? Why aren’t you in school?”

“We have to help Miss Blanchard.”

“I am helping her. That’s why I’m searching the apartment. But you got to go home.”

“Not going to happen.”

Emma glanced up to find him watching her stubbornly. Dammit, he really was her kid. She shook her head and resigned herself to the fact that he was staying.

“Just stay out of the way.”

“So, what are we looking for?”

“I’m trying to see if maybe someone broke in; looking for busted door jambs, broken glass, muddy boot prints; that kind of thing.” Not that any of that was to be found, but who knew, maybe she could train him to be a good cop someday. She almost laughed at the irony of it, his dad had been a worthless criminal, he’d make a good cop someday, and she was stuck somewhere in the middle.

“So, you think someone’s setting her up?”

She wondered how much he knew or rather, how much gossip had already spread through town. She was unsettled with the idea that her kid had any knowledge of the violent act that had most likely occurred and once again she questioned Regina’s ability to be a parent.

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. The only problem is nobody’s got a motive.”

“My mom does.”

A pang stabbed in her the chest. ‘Mom’ was a title that should have been reserved for her. She’d had good intentions when giving him up for adoption, but ever since she’d gotten him back in her life she’d begun to regret it more and more as each day went by, especially when she saw how truly horrible Regina was. She would never forgive herself for ever letting him go.

“Regina?”

“She hates Snow White.” Emma rolled her eyes. “Hey, you wanted a motive.”

“Well, I don’t think ‘she hates Snow White’ will hold up in a court, Henry.”

They searched the room together until Emma paused at the pictures on Mary Margaret’s desk. She sighed and threw herself on the bed, this was use-

The heat kicked on noisily and Emma sat up warily. She listened for the noise and followed it to the floor where she spotted a small crate. She studied it quizzically before dropping to her knees. She jimmied it open and glanced up to find Henry watching her before she slipped her hand in to see what was inside. She wrapped her hand around something wrapped in a cloth and suddenly felt sick all over.

“Did you find something?”

She unwrapped the cloth with trepidation and immediately closed it once she was what was inside.

“Henry, go home, now.”

“What is it?”

Emma stood quickly and moved to the door.

“I’m sorry, kid, but I need to go back to the station-“

“I want to help!”

“DAMMIT HENRY!” Emma cried before running a hand over her face. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest that she could hear it echoing throughout the room. “I’m sorry I yelled, just…please? At least go to the diner and find August. He’ll be worried when you’re not at school.”

“Why?”

She placed the hunting knife on the table before gently kneeling in front of Henry and taking his hands.

“I told him to pick-never mind, Henry. Please, go? For me? I want you with August or with Granny and Ruby, okay? I need to know you’re safe while I take care of some things to help Mary Margaret. Can you do that?”

Henry watched her for a moment and she could sense his fear which filled her with guilt. Eventually he gave her a small nod. Emma pulled him against her and kissed the top of his head gratefully before ushering him out of the apartment.

“If I call Granny and you’re not there in fifteen minutes, Henry, I swear to-“

“I’ll be there!” He called as he descended the stairs. She watched him and sighed when he was out of view. She rested her forehead against the cool doorframe and took a few deep breaths to get control of her emotions.

A hunting knife, a fucking-

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed the only person left in this town that she trusted.

“Hey you,” he answered, worry lining his voice.

“I found a knife hidden in the apartment! And it matches the knife used to cut the heart out!” She said quickly, trying to fight off sobs. She slammed the door shut and pressed herself against it. “It’s Regina! It has to be! What am I supposed to do? The evidence keeps piling up! She’s going to go away for this and it’ll be my faul-“

“Woah! Emma, calm down-“

“I WILL NOT CALM DOWN, AUGUST!”

She covered her mouth before hunching over to let out a small sob while fighting off nausea.

“Hey, I know this is Mary Margaret, okay? But you can’t help her if you let it control you like this. That’s what Regina wants-“

“Do you think this is about me?”

He sighed.

“Of course not, but if she is behind this, which I believe she is, it would be a bonus.”

Emma stood and kicked the table before cursing.

“Meet me at the diner. You could use a break-“

“I’m fin-“

“You need a snack. I know you; you’ll skip dinner tonight because you’ll be too busy.”

“I don’t have time-“

“You owe it to Mary Margaret to be at your best, which means taking care of yourself.”

She closed her eyes with a small groan. He was right, of course he was. He was always right, apparently.

“Fine, I want to make sure Henry gets there anyway. I sent him over there to meet you. He had the bright idea to skip school and I don’t want him alone. I’m going to talk to Granny and Ruby about keeping eyes on him too. If by some weird twist of fate Regina isn’t involved, I don’t want him in danger.”

“I’ll go down to find him and hey, Emma?”

“What?”

“You’re a good mom.”

She rolled her eyes and grabbed the knife.

“I need to go to the station to process this evidence first; I’ll see you in like an hour.”

“Looking forward to it.”

She flipped her phone closed and clutched the knife in her fist. A small part of her regretted telling August, it wasn’t as if anyone had to know she found it, right? But then Henry’s face filled her mind and August’s words rang in her head and she sighed in resignation; she had to do this right, for Mary Margaret and for the kid.


	67. Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August worries about Emma.

After leaving Emma he’d tried and failed to write. He was too worried about her to be productive. He’d talked himself out of going to check on her at least a dozen times, reminding himself that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Though, that knowledge didn’t stop him from wanting to shelter her and protect her from the world.

He sighed and laid his head down on his desk as he toyed with his old red hat.

If he had just been a better person, been stronger, grown to be a better man he could have spent his entire life protecting her instead of running.

He sighed and shoved the hat away, disgusted with himself.

He checked the time; Henry would be out of school soon. Good, it would give him something to do. He’d never been one to stay idle, he always needed to be doing something. Idle hands were the Devil’s plaything, after all.

His phone rang and he immediately answered it knowing it was his princess.

“Hey you,” he couldn’t hide his worry; he’d spent his entire day worrying about her.

“I found a knife hidden in the apartment! And it matches the knife used to cut the heart out! It’s Regina! It has to be! What am I supposed to do? The evidence keeps piling up! She’s going to go away for this and it’ll be my faul-“

“Woah! Emma, calm down-“

She was talking a mile-a-minute in-between trying not to cry and he could only make out half of her words. He gathered the bit about the knife and then just something about Regina.

“I WILL NOT CALM DOWN, AUGUST!”

He paused for a moment, giving her a moment to cry before attempting to calm her down.

“Hey, I know this is Mary Margaret, okay? But you can’t help her if you let it control you like this. That’s what Regina wants-“

“Do you think this is about me?”

It was all about her, technically. Mary Margaret was her mother after all, but he couldn’t very well tell Emma that, so he searched for the best explanation he could come up with that would both satisfy her and be honest to the situation.

“Of course not, but if she is behind this, which I believe she is, it would be a bonus.”

He chewed on his lower lip while he allowed her to process his words.

“Meet me at the diner. You could use a break-“

“I’m fin-“

“You need a snack. I know you; you’ll skip dinner tonight because you’ll be too busy.”

“I don’t have time-“

“You owe it to Mary Margaret to be at your best, which means taking care of yourself.”

He was not going to let her kill herself over this case, even if it was technically a case helping save her mother’s life. He loved her too much to let her do that to herself. They’d figure this out; after all, this wasn’t exactly a normal town.

“Fine, I want to make sure Henry gets there anyway. I sent him over there to meet you. He had the bright idea to skip school and I don’t want him alone. I’m going to talk to Granny and Ruby about keeping eyes on him too. If by some weird twist of fate Regina isn’t involved, I don’t want him in danger.”

He shook his head. That kid…he smirked as he thought about him.

“I’ll go down to find him and hey, Emma?”

“What?”

“You’re a good mom,” he whispered with a small smile, meaning it. He thought of the dreams that plagued him where they were a family and he hoped they would have that someday.

“I need to go to the station to process this evidence first; I’ll see you in like an hour.”

“Looking forward to it.”

He closed his phone and stared at it for a moment before standing. He didn’t think Regina would hurt Henry out in the open, but he didn’t trust her for a minute. The minute she felt that she was in danger of losing that kid was when he’d be in real danger. He threw on his coat and headed out of his room and towards the diner and the kid.


	68. I'm here for Emma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry and August bond.

August found Henry sitting at the bar of the diner, staring gloomily into a now sure to be cold mug of hot cocoa. August frowned. He hadn’t spent much time with Henry, not as much as he’d like to anyway, but he was Emma’s son and a good kid. August felt protective of him but he knew better than to try to father him, that wasn’t his place.

But Emma trusted him enough to want him to watch out for him, so perhaps, someday, it would be.

He caught Granny’s gaze from across the room and she gave him a small nod in Henry’s direction. If he hadn’t already been on his way to see the kid, he would have done it anyway, just so he’d have someone to talk to.

“I don’t think that hot chocolate’s going to drink itself,” August whispered as he took a seat beside him. August looked him over with a sad gaze as he noticed all of the small things about Henry that reminded him of Emma. He should never have left Emma and in turn, Henry. “You’re upset about your teacher, aren’t you?”

“She didn’t do it. Why can’t anyone see that?”

August resisted the urge squeeze his shoulder encouragingly.

“Because most people just see what’s right in front of them. And I don’t think you’re going to find the answers you want at the bottom of that mug.”

“Then where?”

August tapped on Henry’s bag.

“That book in your bag? You know I’m a writer, so I’m partial to finding my answers in the literary form.”

“It’s just a book.”

Well, that didn’t sound like Henry.

“Is it?”

“Yeah.”

“I think we both know that that’s not the case.”

He glanced up as one of the waitresses came over.

“Can I get a water, please?”

“What do you know about it?”

The kid was getting suspicious now, it was kind of cute. He was just like his mom-Emma, not Regina.

“I know it’s a book of stories.”

“Aren’t all books?”

He smirked. Oh yeah, the kid was _exactly_ like Emma.

“Stories that really happened.”

“You think my book is real?” Henry’s eyes lit up for a moment and August’s heart swelled. It was impossible not to love this kid. He was sometimes truly special, despite having been raised by someone as evil as Regina. He was all Emma with some Snow. It made August happy to know that despite his upbringing, he was still an amazing child with a heart of gold and a spirit that never quit.

“As real as I am.”

“How do you know?”

“Well, let’s just say that…uh…”August sighed. He wasn’t going to lie to him but he couldn’t tell him the truth, not yet, not if he hadn’t figured it out yet. He’d put all Henry needed to know in that book, for him to discover on his own time. “I’m a believer,” August said finally. “And I want to help others see the light.” He smirked and took a small sip of his water.

“That, my friend, is why I’m here.”

“But I already believe.”

Yeah, totally Emma’s kid.

“Oh, I’m not here for you, buddy. I’m here for Emma.”

“So, you want to get her to believe? Why don’t you just tell her?” Henry asked, confused.

“Well, there are some people, like you and me,” August said with a wink, “we can go on faith. But others, like Emma, they need proof.”

“Last time I tried to find proof, I got trapped in a sinkhole,” Henry said miserably.

August withheld a chuckle and shook his head before tapping Henry’s book.

“There are less dangerous places to look.”

Henry nodded and finally took a sip of his cocoa. He made a face when he realized it was cold and August motioned for the waitress.

“Can you heat this up for us, please?”

Henry glanced up stubbornly.

“If you’re here to help Emma believe in the curse, does that mean you don’t really like her?”

“What?”

“You and Emma are dating…”

“No, Henry, I’m…” August sighed. He knew Emma would assume the same when he finally came clean and he needed to make sure Henry understood. “I care about your mom a lot. Emma’s…” he smiled. “She’s amazing. I came here to help break the curse, but that’s not why I’m dating her. I’m dating her because I want to be with her after she breaks the curse, if she’ll have me. Don’t worry, I have no intentions of ever hurting her.”

“When the curse breaks…she and I will be together, right?”

“I hope so.”

“So…if you’re with her then that means we’d be family?”

August grinned and sipped his water again.

“I guess so.”

Henry nodded and toyed with his bag.

“Oh.”

“Are you okay with-“

“Here you go, son, better drink it up before your mom comes in here.”

Granny set a brand new hot chocolate in front of Henry, which was conveniently placed in a to-go cup. They both turned to find Regina outside, speaking to some townsperson August had never seen.

One of the untold hundreds, surely.

“I better go home, before she sees me,” Henry grumbled.

“Good idea, Emma wants you somewhere safe. Promise me you’ll only go home, to school, or here where Granny, Ruby, or I can keep an eye on you?”

Henry nodded and hopped off of his stool.

“Come on, I’ll walk you out the back-“

“No, it’s okay. If she sees us together it’ll be worse,” Henry said sadly. August frowned and ruffled Henry’s hair before he trudged out of the diner. He sighed once the kid was gone and the bell to the diner rang, announcing Regina’s arrival.

Granny sent a small glance her way before patting August on the back.

“You’re going to be a good father to that boy someday,” she said in approval before heading back to the kitchen.

August was too stunned to answer and wondered if Emma and Henry would agree with her.


	69. Rejection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma feels the bitter sting of rejection as she realizes Mary Margaret has no faith in her.

“Don’t get mad but…I found a hunting knife in the heating vent in your bedroom,” Emma informed Mary Margaret with a frown. She’d strongly considered not bringing it in to the station. She could have tossed it and no one would have known; but she’d know. She’d never forgive herself if her actions led to Mary Margaret’s conviction. Sure, the evidence was damning, but at least she was being honest with this investigation. The only way they’d find out who was really behind this was by finding everything that they could.

“The heating vent? Emma, I don’t even know where the heating vent in my bedroom is!”

She shrugged.

“Well, someone did, and they put a hunting knife in there. I checked for signs of a break in, but there weren’t any.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“Of course I do,” Emma said, offended Mary Margaret would think otherwise, after everything they’d been through. “But what I think doesn’t matter. The evidence is piling up by the hour.”

“Okay, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying, you should think about hiring a lawyer.” It was the best they could do until she had some more time to find evidence that proved Mary Margaret was being framed.

“An excellent idea,” a male voice said, filling the room. Emma turned, surprised to find Mr. Gold limping towards them.

“Mr. Gold. What are you doing here?

“Offering my legal services.”

Emma crossed her arms and turned to him, taking full attention of him now.

“You’re a lawyer?” She asked speculatively.

“Ever wondered why I was so adept at contracts? I’ve been following the details of your case, Miss Blanchard. And I think you’d be well-advised to bring me on as your counsel.”

“And why is that?” Mary Margaret asked.

“Well, because the Sheriff had me arrested for nearly beating a man to death, and I managed to persuade the judge to drop the charges.”

She rolled her eyes, not buying his bullshit.

“Asserting your influence isn’t what’s needed here. We need to find the truth.”

“Exerting influence may be exactly what’s needed here.”

She wasn’t going to let Mary Margaret get screwed because of Gold.

“What’s needed here is for me to do my job.”

“Well, no one’s stopping you. I’m only here to help.”

“Enough; please go.”

“You heard her,” Emma told him smugly.

“No, I was talking to you.” Emma turned to Mary Margaret, shocked and wounded.

“What?” She asked so weakly she doubted anyone heard her.

“Oh, Emma, he’s right. I need help. And you need to do your job, or else I’m screwed. So, just please; do your job the best you can, and you’ll prove me innocent. Until you do, I need some practical help.”

She bit back a response, afraid she’d cry if she spoke. This wasn’t about Mary Margaret’s best interests. Emma could see it plastered all over her friend’s face: Mary Margaret didn’t have enough faith in her. She didn’t trust her to do her job and get her out of this, so she was going to trust Gold and his disgusting manipulations. Did she forget this was the same man who had almost killed Regina and had nearly beat Mr. French to death?

“Trust me. This is in Miss Blanchard’s best interests.”

Emma scoffed bitterly.

“Good luck, Mary Margaret. I hope your best interests are what he’s looking out for.”

She gave them both a small glare before grabbing her things and leaving the room.

“Keep an eye on them, no one else sees her without my permission, got it?” Emma called to her deputy as she stormed out of the station angrily.  
 


	70. Don't Let Her See You Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While giving Emma some advice on how to beat Regina, August lets his real feelings slip and for the first time Emma realizes that she doesn’t have to do everything alone anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based on the deleted scene with August telling Emma he wants to take her out again, telling her he loves her, AND helping her with the case. Obviously, the exact scene doesn’t fit in with this story so I modified it a bit, but the heart of it is still the same. I will forever hate this show for all of the August stuff they scrapped. This chapter is dedicated to my wifey because she is amazing and to Kristen for transcribing the deleted scene for me when my internet wouldn’t work.

Emma entered the diner through the back entrance, in no mood to deal with people. Mary Margaret’s rejection still stung, leaving her feeling pouty and wounded like a puppy. She ran a hand through her hair and reached for the door when a familiar face popped into view.

She smiled and reached out to ruffle his hair.

“Hey, kid.”

“Hi, Emma!” His face lit up and she somehow felt worse.

“Are you going home?”

He nodded.

“August already told me I have to stay safe.”

“Did he now?” She said, only a tiny bit impressed. Okay, maybe a bit more, but she wasn’t going to tell either one of them that; August’s ego didn’t need to grow any larger.

“I’m only allowed to be here, at home, or at school.”

She smiled and leaned down to kiss the top of his head; relieved.

“I’m glad you’re learning how to listen, kid. Now go on home and do your homework.”

She expected a snarky remark but instead Henry threw his arms around her middle and hugged her tightly. Emma stiffened for a moment before relaxing and giving him a tight squeeze.

“I know you’ll get Miss Blanchard of out jail; I have faith in you.”

Emotion welled up in her throat and she cleared it uncomfortably. She pulled away from Henry and nudged him towards the door.

“Be careful, kid.”

He smirked.

“See, you do like me.”

Emma rolled her eyes as he bounced out the door. She hoped he actually did as he was told and stayed out of trouble. The kid was a pain in the ass but he was right; she did like him. She let out a deep sigh and did her best not to pout as she remembered that her best friend was still in a jail cell and didn’t trust her to do her job well enough to get her out of a bogus murder charge.

She found one of the only empty chairs and threw herself into it. She pulled off her gloves and caught sight of Regina happily sipping coffee in the corner. She glowered, wondering how she could kill Regina without making it obvious it was murder; like a nice accident maybe.

“He’s a strong kid.”

“Who?” Emma muttered, openly glaring in Regina’s direction. She knew Regina was behind this and she was going to prove it and then make her pay for it. Regina was an evil bitch who didn’t deserve to have Henry. Maybe if she could prove Regina was-

“Henry.”

Emma blinked and looked up to find August gazing down at her.

“Yeah, he’s great,” she mumbled, going back to her thoughts. Where was she? Oh right; Henry. Seeing him these days only broke her heart. It seemed unfair that Regina got to be his ‘mom’ when she didn’t even do anything to deserve him. If Emma could go back-

August took the seat in front of her, blocking her view.

“What?” She asked grumpily, back to full on pouting.

“I gotta be honest, I was hoping to talk you into coming back to my room with me so I could relieve some of that stress you’re under, but with that look on your face, I’m thinking now might not be the best time.”

“Good instincts,” she muttered.

“Hey-“ August moved to catch her eye. She finally really looked at him and saw concern etched all over his face. She sighed and reached over to take his hand.

“Sorry,” she muttered, glancing over his shoulder to roll in her eyes in Regina’s direction.

“I figure you could probably use a drink.”

She nodded.

“Yes, but I’m on dut-“

“Ruby,” August said, glancing up to stop Ruby as she went by. “Can I get Emma-“

“Hot cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon?”

Emma glared at the pair.

“Coming right up!” Ruby said with a smirk.

“Thanks, Ruby!”

“I hate you both,” Emma muttered. August rubbed the palm of her hand with his thumb with a smirk that reminded her of Henry’s.

“You look ready to take Regina’s head off.”

“There are those instincts again. How could you tell?”

“Oh, it’s not just me. I think everyone’s starting to notice. You’ve been looking right past me ever since I sat down. We haven’t even had eye-sex once, I’m a little hurt.”

Her lips curled into a small smile.

“There’s my girl,” he whispered as he lifted her hand up and placed a small kiss on the back of it before releasing it. Emma clenched her fingers which were itching to tear out Regina’s hair.

“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted after a moment. Ruby appeared with her chocolate and Emma thanked her as she wrapped her hands around the warm mug.

“What do you normally do when it comes to Regina?”

“Normally I go over there and give her a piece of my mind, but that hasn’t exactly worked out for me.”

She caught him smiling and she narrowed her eyes.

“Now, don’t hate me, but maybe it’s time for a new approach with her.”

“Here’s the thing; I’m a ‘go over there and give her a piece of my mind’ type of girl.”

He shook her head and met her gaze.

“And while I love that about you, there are other ways to get what you want.”

Her stomach fluttered and she blinked in surprise. A small, timid smile rose on her lips as she realized that was his way of telling her how he felt; by being here for her. He’d probably figured out she’d go running if he ever said the real words and she was…

Well, she wasn’t sure but the realization that he was in love with her hadn’t sending her heading for the hills yet, some maybe there was some hope for her yet.

“What sort of ways?” She asked after a moment, her attention completely on him now.

“Do you follow bull fighting?” Emma shook her head and did her best to hide a smile as he went into one of his many stories. “There was this torero I met in Pamplona, total bad ass; never lost a fight.” She sipped her drink and watched him speak, completely amused with hos engaged he was. “So one day, I ask him what his secret is. You know what he says?”

“What did he say?”

“He says it’s very simple; don’t let them see you coming.”

Emma opened her mouth to speak but August stood. She stared up at him, confused, as he tossed some money onto the table.

“Where are you-“

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Don’t let her see you coming,” he whispered before leaving without another word.

She sat in dumbfounded silence before his words hit her.

_Don’t…_

She smirked and shook her head. He was telling her to play nice and ignorant so Regina didn’t catch on that she was on to her.

Speaking of the devil; Regina stood and made her way over.

“Sheriff,” she said coldly.

“Madam Mayor,” Emma said pleasantly as she finished her cocoa. Regina narrowed her eyes before turning to leave. Emma shook her head and made a mental note to thank August later.


	71. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unable to sleep, Emma takes a walk and winds up at August’s door.

She stared up at the ceiling, trying to count the cracks in the plaster. She lost count after twenty and let out an irritated sigh. It was after midnight and she still couldn’t sleep. She’d tossed, turned, gotten up, moved things, cleaned, peed five times, and attempted television, but she could never bother with those fucking infomercials that plagued the local television stations.

She’d even tried to force herself to sleep by slamming her eyes shut but then she heard every single noise as if she was suddenly trapped in an IMAX movie. Even the silence of the town bothered her.

Emma growled and threw the covers off before thrusting herself off the mattress. She grabbed her jacket and slipped on her sneakers. Maybe a walk would help. Something to release all of the pent-up energy she was dealing with.

She passed Mary Margaret’s empty bedroom and frowned. Their fight, or whatever the hell that had been, still weighed heavily on her mind. Hell, it was probably the root of her sudden insomnia. She’d never been this close to someone and she had no idea how to deal with this. Usually she cut and run, but this was different. She couldn’t abandon her or Henry. Emma had no idea how to get through this or past it.

Catch the real criminal, she supposed. Though, it wasn’t as if anyone had any faith in her.

Emma glowered and slammed the door behind her. She fumbled with the lock angrily before barreling down the stairs. She had no idea where she was going, but she walked with purpose. She hoped no one encountered her on the street. She knew she probably looked half crazed. Angry eyes, frown, and her gun holstered to her pajamas.

She mumbled obscenities to herself. Let them see her. Hell, let them report back to Regina. She didn’t care anymore. She just wanted to punch something, mainly Regina’s face. She hadn’t had the chance to thoroughly appreciate it the first time she’d done it. She wanted another go at it.

She wasn’t sure when she made the decision to go to Granny’s, but here she was, knocking on the door to number two, with her hands shoved into her coat pockets, pacing.

“Ems? What are you…are you okay?”

Emma stared down at his exposed hip and swallowed hard. She knew he preferred to sleep naked, so he’d probably thrown his pajama bottoms on in a rush.

“What?” She asked, distracted. She’d forgotten for a moment, why she was out walking in the middle of the night, but it came back to her and she frowned.

“I’m sorry, I just…I don’t know why I’m here.”

August gave her a small frown before pulling her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and shut the door behind her.

“Come on, I was having trouble sleeping without your snoring,” he teased.

“I do not snore,” she muttered, put out, while allowing him to slip off her jacket and set her gun on the nightstand.

“Whatever you say,” he whispered as he pulled her into bed with him. She buried her face in his chest and let him hold her. “Do you want to talk about it?” He whispered a few minutes later. She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his middle.

“No.”

He stroked her hair gently and she sighed in contentment. She wasn’t a cuddler, but he was slowly making her change her ways. It felt good to be with someone, even like this.

“It’ll be okay, Ems. I have faith in you.”

She wasn’t sure how he knew exactly what was vexing her, but she appreciated his words. She glanced up to find him watching her and she gave him a small smile. She kissed him quickly before resting her head against his chest once more.

A part of her wondered if her insomnia was really due to her stress or if maybe she needed him beside her. It’d only been a few short weeks but he had already begun to feel a lot like home, as was evidence by how safe and comfortable she felt in his arms.

“I…thank you.” She didn’t need to ruin this with words. She relaxed into his touch and closed her eyes before slowly drifting into a dreamless sleep.


	72. Skeleton Keys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma finds out how Regina managed to break into the apartment.

Emma walked along the sidewalk to her apartment with a small smile on her face.

_August pressed a kiss into her shoulder and toyed with her hair._

_“You’re gorgeous in the morning.”_

_“Shut up,” she mumbled, while ignoring how pink her cheeks went._

She shook her head at the memory. He was an idiot and she had work to do. She didn’t have time to be grinning like a lovesick schoolgirl over a cute boy. She approached the stairs to the loft and let out a small sigh of annoyance. Hadn’t he just promised her he’d stay home and be safe? And yet here he was, out far too early, and alone, again.

“Henry…”

“I have proof.” He held up a large ring of…were those skeleton keys? She almost laughed. She didn’t even think those were real. “This is how my mom got into your apartment. This is how she framed Miss Blanchard.”

Emma crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze on him.

“Did you steal these from her office?”

“Yeah. The book said they could open any door.”

She resisted the urge to scold him.

“There’s no way they’ll even fit in the lock.”

She followed him up the stairs and shook her head the whole time. This kid…

“We have to try.”

She watched as he unsuccessfully attempted to open the door using the keys. After about the fifth one, she decided to stop him before he got too disheartened.

“See? What did I tell you? Come on, Henry. I know you want to think the answer to everything is in Operation Cobra-“

“It is!”

She ignored him.

“But, sometimes the real world needs to come first.”

“Just try one more. Please.”

She gazed down and hated herself for being unable to resist that adorable face.

“Okay, one more. But then we’re done.”

“You do it. This one.”

“Okay.”

She took the ring from Henry and shoved the one he’d picked out into the lock. She turned it and it immediately clicked. Her eyes went wide and she looked down at the kid as the door swung open.

“Do you believe now?”

“How…come on, kid, I’m taking you to school.”

“But-“

“I believe you, but we need to put these keys back and make sure no one knows about this, not yet. Okay?” Rage boiled within her. Regina had broken into her apartment and planted evidence to frame Mary Margaret and Emma couldn’t even prove it because how was she supposed to get a warrant approved for ‘skeleton keys’? Because the ‘book told her to’?

“Fine,” Henry grumbled, taking the keys.

Emma slammed the door to the apartment, not bothering to lock it since apparently Regina could get in anyway. She led Henry to the cruiser, cursing Regina in her mind the entire way.


	73. The Silent Treatment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma tries to reassure Mary Margaret that everything will be okay but her words fall on deaf ears.

“David’s just a-“ Emma stopped herself before she said something she’d later regret. ‘Douchebag’ was the word Emma was aiming for, but she suspected Mary Margaret wouldn’t appreciate it. “He’s a coward,” she said finally, thinking that ‘coward’ did indeed suit him. “No one in their right mind thinks you could have done this. He just isn’t man enough to face you,” she reassured as she bit into a doughnut. She swirled in the deputy chair so she could glance at her roommate who was still stone-faced.

 _All right_ , she thought as she swirled in her chair some more. So the David approach wasn’t going to work; noted.

“We’ll have the DNA results soon…maybe it’s not Kathryn. And if it is, this just means we can move forward and get you cleared sooner,” she said. Mary Margaret didn’t even flinch.

Okay, so she was serious about this whole silent treatment business. She didn’t even know what she’d done to warrant such a cold shoulder. Sure, she knew Mary Margaret had zero faith in her but the last time Emma checked she was the only one on Mary Margaret’s side.

She didn’t mention the keys, there was no use in getting Mary Margaret worked up, not if she was already being like this. Emma polished off her doughnut and offered Mary Margaret one, again. She sighed in annoyance as Mary Margaret lay back on her cot and crossed her arms.

Well, there was a response at least.

“I’m going to try to get you a bail hearing as soon as I can. The DA wants to move you to county but I think I can work around that.” Still nothing. Emma’s heart broke, just a little. Did Mary Margaret really have that little faith in her?

Emma wiped off her hands and didn’t bother to say another word to Mary Margaret. She locked herself in her office and let out a loud sigh of frustration. Emma already knew she wasn’t qualified to solve this case but just a little bit of…assurance that her only family thought she wasn’t a completely incompetent sheriff would be-

She wiped at her eyes angrily, glad there was no one here to see her momentary lapse in composure. She wasn’t going to be caught crying in her office. It was hard enough being a woman in a position of power; she didn’t need people to think she was weak. They already didn’t take her seriously.

Emma wasn’t sure how, but she was determined to fix this. She hadn’t wanted anything so much in a long time. She was determined to not only save Mary Margaret but to prove herself. Maybe if she could prove herself to everyone else she would finally feel like she wasn’t such a complete and utter screw-up and…

Well, perhaps then she’d be worthy of being Henry’s mom.

Emma banished those thoughts from her mind. She had to focus on the things she could take control of and right now she needed to take control of this case.

Too bad she had no idea how.

“Maybe the kid’s book can tell me,” she muttered bitterly as she flipped angrily through more phone records, trying to find something she may have missed. She felt eyes on her and glanced up to find Mary Margaret watching her through the window. Their eyes met for a moment before Mary Margaret turned away and curled back up on her cot.

The look on Mary Margaret’s face stung deeper than a knife and Emma suddenly felt too overwhelmed to stay stuck in an empty station with her. She slammed her case file shut and called one of the deputies to come babysit their prisoner. If Mary Margaret wanted to be that way, fine, Emma didn’t need to keep trying with her.

She could work better from home anyway.

Emma all but stormed out of the station, feeling ridiculous that she’d been run out of her own domain by Mary Margaret of all people, but most of all she felt nausea inducing sadness and the sense that she’d once again fooled herself into thinking she could have a real family.


	74. Key to My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma turns to the only person she has left; August.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I screamed a lot when I wrote this, so I dedicate this to wifey because August is a life-ruiner.

Emma wiped her eyes angrily and muttered to herself while she flipped through pages of her file. She wasn’t even reading anything, she just wanted to hit something and this kept her hands busy.

“Oh, I believe in you, come live with me Emma, let’s be best friends, Emma, I’ll turn on you the moment things get hard, Emma.” She made a face and shook her head as she imitated Mary Margaret and angrily flipped some more papers. “Don’t date the married man, I told her, and what does she do-“ Emma sliced her finger on a piece of paper and howled in annoyance.

“Fucking great! Now there’s blood everywhere!”

She shoved her finger into her mouth and sucked on the blood as she fumbled around the bathroom for a band aid. She cursed as she cleansed the wound under some water.

“Please tell me you didn’t murder someone in this apartment.”

She shot her head up and glared at August as he dropped his things into a chair and made him way to join her. If he was going to make jokes at a time like this then she would have no problem kicking him out. She already regretted calling him, especially since tears and incoherent words spoken through sobs had been involved.

She blamed the empty whiskey bottle on the counter for that one.

“Is that supposed to be funny?”

August gave her a ‘look’ and took her hand.

“Come here, you’re bleeding all over the place.” She allowed him to take her hand, but not without making a big show about pouting as she did it. He rubbed the inside of her palm and held her finger under the water before grabbing a towel to wrap it in. He held her hand firmly for a moment as he lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it.

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” Emma replied stubbornly.

“I’m going to guess based on the blood all over your paperwork that you got into a fight with a manila folder.”

She frowned and felt tears coming again.

“No, it was a piece of paper,” she mumbled before pulling away from him angrily. She didn’t want him to see her cry. August hushed her and pulled her against his chest.

“Hey, it’s okay, if it helps, I think you won.”

A smile crossed her lips before she could stop it.

“You think so?”

He kissed the top of her head.

“Of course, baby. Now let me see your battle wound.”

Emma reluctantly gave him her hand. He pulled away the blood-stained towel and made a small face.

“Well, it could be worse. I think a bandage should do it, but we should disinfect it first.”

“Under the sink,” she whispered. Mary Margaret kept the bathroom stocked like a damn hospital.

“Of course, here we go.” August held her hand over the sink as he poured peroxide over her wound. Emma winced and August apologized as he bandaged her up. “There, all done,” he whispered as he kissed the top of her head again. “Why don’t you take a break and I’ll clean up?”

Emma nodded and wiped at her eyes. She hated letting him see her like this but…as much as she hated to admit it, she didn’t want to be alone and he was all she had. Well, there was Ruby, but…well, Ruby didn’t send butterflies fluttering through her stomach the way he did.

She curled up on the couch and rested her chin on her knees as she watched him.

“How did you get in?” She asked, remembering that she’d locked the door.

“I still have the spare key you let me borrow the other night.” She searched her memory and remembered giving it to him so he could beat her home to start dinner.

“Right…you should just keep it.” For all Emma knew, David had one, so Mary Margaret would have to deal with it. August froze for a moment before gazing at her with a curious expression on his features.

“You’re giving me your key?”

Emma shrugged and toyed with a loose thread on the sofa.

“It’s not like you ever leave, why not?”

She didn’t want to make a big deal of it. They both knew that this was a big step for her but with the mood she was in, if he acknowledged that…well, she wasn’t sure how she’d take it. August seemed to know to drop it and pocketed the key instead of speaking.

“Well…thank you. I’d offer you mine but the damn thing is a bit bulky,” he teased.

Emma snorted.

“Tell me about it, what is with this town and skeleton-“ Emma suddenly remembered Regina’s keys and her blood began to boil all over again. The small amount of comfort August had brought with him was now gone out the window.

“Regina,” Emma hissed. Giving her key to August didn’t even matter since locking doors in the town was useless; the Mayor could go anywhere she damn well pleased whenever she pleased.

“Regina?” He asked as he tossed the stained paper towels into the bin and washed his hands quickly.

“She has those damn skeleton keys! What if she has a key to the apartment?” Emma yelled. “No, I know she has the key to the apartment…she got in here and planted that evidence! Oh God!” She covered her faced and let out a small groan. “I need to prove she has them, but how?” She’d completely forgotten about August as she talked to herself, trying to work this out in her head. How could she have been so stupid? She needed to prove Regina was framing Mary Margaret; that was how she was going to prove her innocence, not with the evidence but by proving the evidence had been put there by Regina and well…

“Shit, do you think Regina killed Kathryn?” She asked suddenly as she glanced up, finally remembering that she wasn’t alone.

“Okay, I think you need to back up,” August said slowly as he joined her on the couch. Emma sat up on her heels and caught him up to speed as he took her hands in his.

“So…basically, Regina can get in here whenever she damn well pleases.” Emma had never seen August look so angry before. Sure, he wasn’t putting it out there the way she did but she could see it, underneath his cool exterior, he was fuming; maybe even more than she was.

She smiled as she realized he really did want to keep her safe.

“Yes, and now I need to figure out how to prove Regina is framing her. I’ve been focusing on trying to make the evidence not point to Mary Margaret but Regina’s seen to it that it all will. I’ve been going about this the wrong way. I think I can prove she’s innocent,” Emma said excitedly. “And stick it to Regina while I’m at it,” she added smugly. And maybe…well, she didn’t want to think about Henry, not now, not until it didn’t hurt so much.

August took her hand and pulled her close.

“I’m glad you’re feeling optimistic, Amore Mia, but remember, you can’t let her know you’re onto her. You’re smart, but Regina’s cunning.” Emma nodded and wrapped her arms around his middle.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“For what?”

“Being here,” she replied as she glanced up at him. He smirked and kissed the tip of her nose. The small act comforted her and helped settle some of her nerves. She was ready to run out of the building and to Regina’s to demand answers, but she was trying to follow his advice.

“Always,” he replied as he kissed her lips. The kiss was brief but left her feeling completely enamored with him. He brushed hair away from her face and cupped her cheek.

“Have you eaten anything?”

Emma shook her head.

“Do doughnuts count?”

He shook his head and gave her hand a squeeze before pushing himself off the sofa.

“I’ll make dinner and then you should get some rest,” he scolded. She smirked and watched him move into the kitchen to search the fridge. She sighed as she rested her cheek on her knees.

He was…well, if she was being honest, he scared the hell out of her. He made her feel things that she didn’t know she could feel. Plus, he was wonderful and damn near perfect. She was trying really hard not to expect things to go to hell and just enjoy this and he made it really easy to just be with him.

A small sigh escaped her lips.

She really liked this one.

“What?” He asked as he caught her watching him.

“I-nothing.” She blushed and looked down. Her heart knew how she felt but…she shook her head.

 _Stupid_.

She glanced up to catch him smiling.

“I know,” he whispered and left it at that. She was too stunned to curse him but not too stunned to spend dinner grinning like an idiot.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

_I love you too_ , that was what he really wanted to say, but she wasn’t ready, not yet. Especially not with everything else going on.

He watched her as she curled up at his side and kissed the top of her head. He knew she could take care of herself, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to protect her. He would do small things; make sure she ate, slept, and took care of herself emotionally while working this case. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

And the sooner they proved her mother was innocent then the sooner he could tell her everything. She trusted him, maybe enough to believe him. He wanted to find another way to break the curse, to help her, to spare her that burden, but they were running out of time. The more he fell in love with her the less time they had together. If they didn’t break the curse before his own curse took over…

He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.

August tilted her chin in his direction and placed a small kiss on her lips. It was nothing, just a small, romantic gesture to remind her that even though she wasn’t ready for him to say it, that he loved her.

“What was that for,” she asked. He smiled as he studied her adorable features.

“I’ll tell you when you’re ready,” he replied huskily.

She ducked her head with a blush but he caught her by the chin and held her gaze.

“Promise me you’ll never leave,” his voice broke as he spoke but he didn’t care. He knew that losing her was a very real possibility and he just hoped when the time came she loved him enough to forgive him.

She gave him a sad smile.

“You promise first.”

He took her hands and gazed down into her eyes.

“I promise to never leave you,” _again_ , he added mentally.

Her hand shook in his and she nodded.

“You’re stuck with me,” she promised. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but it was enough, for now. He pressed his lips to hers again before pulling her against his chest. Emma burrowed her face in his shirt and wrapped herself around him.

“Let’s go to bed,” she whispered after a moment while stifling a yawn.

“As you wish, Princess.”

He had no desire to return to his room in the Inn, especially since here he could have the love of his life wrapped in his arms while he slept.


	75. Just a Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August relieves some of Emma's stress.

_“I can’t wait any longer.” Emma hated feeling needy but as she stood behind him, pleading for him to stay, she could feel the electric charge between them and she didn’t want to fight it anymore. She wanted him, bad, hell, sometimes it felt like she needed him to survive and right now was one of those moments. His gentleman act wasn’t cutting anymore; if he didn’t get inside of her now she’d explode._

_“Neither can I.”_

_August surprised her by pulling her against him and kissing her. She moved her hands into his hair and pulled him against her, kissing him back with force. Every nerve ignited as his hands left fire in their wake. He grasped her by the waist and spun her around before shoving her against the wall. She gasped in arousal as he pulled his belt off. She grasped him from behind as he popped the button her jeans._

_“August…” His lips found hers once more as he slipped his hand into her panties, tugging them and her jeans down as he went._

_Thunder clapped in her ears and-_

No, that wasn’t right.

Emma opened her eyes with a gasp as the small loft filled with light as another clap of thunder roared through the industrial building. Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath and she threw the covers off of her sweaty body. She ran a hand through her damp hair and tried to collect her thoughts.

Goddamn, that had been one hell of a dream and now she was horny, incredibly horny. She turned over to wake August and pouted when she realized she was alone. He’d been here when she’d fallen asleep…

She looked around and realized his shoes and jacket were gone. She sighed in frustration and threw herself back onto her pillow. He’d probably decided to go home and didn’t want to wake her. She closed her eyes and attempted to go back to sleep but as she began to rub her thighs together she knew that there was only one way she’d be able to rest tonight.

Emma didn’t have the patience to strip down, even with how warm she felt. She went right for it. She would just rub one out, get it out of the way, and then hopefully fall asleep. She had a long day ahead of her and she didn’t need to be up all night lusting after her boyfriend.

She was just starting to get into it when the stairs creaked and she froze, realizing she wasn’t alone.

“If this is what you get up to when I leave, I should do it more often.”

She opened her eyes to find a soaked August removing his jacket. She narrowed her eyes on him but didn’t bother to move her hand. She had no reason to be embarrassed, she woken up needing some assistance and he was gone and she was damn well capable of taking care of her needs all on her lonesome.

“I thought you’d left.”

“I was gone for a total of five minutes; it’s raining,” he told her as he climbed into bed. “I had to cover my bike,” he informed her as he pressed a kiss to her lips before taking hold of her wrists. “May I?”

She swallowed hard and tried not to let the dark look in his eyes leave her more flustered than she already felt.

“You may.”

He gave her that insufferable smirk of his and she opened her mouth to tell him where he could shove that smirk when he rendered her speechless. He took her fingers, one by one, and slowly sucked them clean while keeping his eyes on hers.

A shaky breath escaped her lips as he pulled her against him and kissed her slowly. She could taste herself on him and it sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach. August took her lower lip between his teeth as he trailed his hands down her sides. He tugged her bottoms off and threw them over his shoulder before moving his lips to her neck.

She moaned as his scruff grazed the skin inside her thighs.

“August….” She moaned again when he took her panties by his teeth and slowly peeled them off. This man was going to be her undoing, she could feel it.

He buried himself between her thighs and she tangled her fingers in his damp curls. She didn’t know how it was possible for one person to be this skilled in cunnilingus but she wasn’t complaining. She’d had so many losers in the past with no fucking clue as to what they were doing that is was a miracle to have a man who knew his way around a clitoris.

Though….

Well, he probably had done this a lot. More than a lot, like…

Emma stopped paying attention to what he was doing and suddenly became very curious as to how many women he’d actually been with. He’d told her there had been many, so it wasn’t like he was hiding anything, but…

“Jesus Christ!” She cried out as he began nibbling her swollen clit. Good God, he wasn’t human, was he? She couldn’t remember why she’d stopped paying attention to begin with but he’d noticed she wasn’t completely present. He sat up and she let out a small whine of protest. He wasn’t done yet. August pressed his lips to hers before placing a hand on her cheek.

“Are you still with me?”

She nodded furiously, pushing away all of her mental blocks. She wasn’t going to let her stupid brain get in the way of an orgasm. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him until the only thing on her mind was getting his mouth back to where it belonged.

Emma broke the kiss and August kissed his way along her jaw before gripping her by the waist. He pulled her back against his chest as he snaked his hand between her wet folds. She sighed contently as he trailed his hot mouth over her neck. She turned her head and found his lips as she pressed herself against his hand.

August moved his lips to her earlobe and nibbled for a moment.

“Come for me, Emma,” he whispered, sending a tingle through her spine. She suddenly realized they were in the same position from her dream and it all came rushing back to her. That coupled with his efforts to get her off finally did the trick.

August pressed a kiss to her temple as she caught her breath. She reached behind her and pulled his face to hers. She was still aroused but she wasn’t sure she had it in her to keep going. But kissing, kissing she could do.

He pressed her into the mattress before pulling the covers over their bodies. He lay beside her and drew her against his chest.

“Up for another round, princess?”

Emma felt she could fall asleep easily right then and there, but the beard burn on her thighs reminded her that there was much more happiness to be had.

“Oh, I’m sure I can think of a few things to do before we go back to sleep,” she teased as she kissed him again. She wasn’t entirely sure how much longer they lay in her bed, fooling around like teenagers, but when she finally fell asleep she did so with a huge grin on her face.


	76. Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning Emma and August have breakfast.

“You’re staring again,” Emma glanced up to find that he was indeed watching her again, with the same stupid grin he’d been wearing since they’d woken up this morning. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers with a smile.

“I can’t help it, you’re radiant.”

“You’re an idiot,” she replied with a shake of her head. He kissed her again and smirked.

“Only for you.”

She smiled and ducked her head with a blush. She wasn’t used to this; having a man adore her this way, who made her breakfast, who…she glanced up to find him finishing off his pancakes and smiled. He was in love with her and it scared the hell out of her, but she couldn’t pretend not to know how he felt anymore. It was as clear as the glass he sipped his orange juice from.

Her smiled turned to a small frown after a moment. He loved her but she was too screwed up to know how she felt. She didn’t want to think about her feelings, if she did and she had to acknowledge them…

Things were better the way they were.

But there was that damn dream she couldn’t get out of her head; of her, August, and a blond, blue-eyed baby girl that had reduced her to tears upon waking. It was stupid, especially since Emma knew better than to hope she could ever have a real family, but it had gotten her thinking. That with the way August was so seemingly perfect…

“What’s that smile for?”

She gazed up to find him still watching her like a fool in love and shook her head.

“Nothing, just thinking about last night.” It wasn’t technically a lie.

“Hmm, I can’t blame you; I was pretty good, wasn’t I?”

He leaned in for another kiss and Emma turned her head with a roll of her eyes.

“You are such a cocky bastard sometimes.”

“Would you like me any other way?”

She met his eyes and reluctantly smirked.

“No.”

“That’s what I thought.”

He kissed her again and stood with his coffee cup.

“Want another cup?”

“Nah, I still have my hot chocolate.” She reached for her cup, happy to see the whipped cream hadn’t melted yet. She dipped her finger into it before sucking it clean. She smiled, thinking there was nothing better than whipped cream when she caught August watching her with a dumbstruck expression on his face. “What?”

“Um…nothing…you just…do that again.”

She rolled her eyes and a moment later his arms were around her waist and they were making out against the table. She chuckled and tried to push him away so she could leave for work but his lips were far too tempting for her to put any real effort into it.

“I should go to work.”

“You can take the morning off, you fell asleep before we could finish last night,” he teased as his lips moved to her neck. Emma leaned away from him and put her hands on his chest, knowing she really did have to go.

“That’s what tonight is for,” she promised.

“Then I have something to look forward to.” He kissed her for a long moment before kissing her again and moving to clear the table. Emma slipped into her jacket and watched him. Her dream came back to her. She could see them on Saturday mornings, with him making breakfast and a child that she could do right by the time. Guilt gnawed at her, it wasn’t fair to want a new family, not when she’d given Henry away. She didn’t deserve a new life. She’d done to him exactly what her own parents had done, because she hadn’t been able to handle being a mother. It was stupid to suddenly want to get over her issues and build a life here because she’d finally found someone worth putting herself through the pain of being in a relationship.

And if she was being honest, she didn’t want a new life, not without Henry in it. And since that was something she’d never have she didn’t want to bother fantasizing about it; she’d had enough disappointments in her life.

“Come on; want me to walk you to the station?”

She blinked and realized she’d spaced out thinking about her kid.

“No...I mean I’m going to the courthouse. One of the deputies is taking Mary Margaret; we have a bail hearing today.”

“So, should I plan on making dinner for three?”

“You’re sweet but no, I don’t even know what we’d use to pay the bail.”

“You’ll think of something, I have faith in you.”

Emma felt something knot in her heart and she leaned up to press her lips to his.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

Emma sighed.

“For believing in me.”

Mary Margaret didn’t, she didn’t believe in herself, and someday, Henry was going to realize she was no savior. She’d never had people depend on her before and she didn’t know what she was doing most of the time, but having him support her meant more to her than she cared to admit.

August smiled and took her hand before leading her out of the apartment.

“Always, Sheriff,” he whispered as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head as they walked. “And don’t worry and before you argue with me, I know you’re worried, it’s been written on your face most of the morning. We’re going to get her out of this.”

“I hope you’re right.”


	77. Bail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Gold attempt to get Mary Margaret released on bail.

“Your Honor, this is ridiculous. Ms. Blanchard is an active member in the community. She is a school teacher, volunteers at the hospital and the convent, and has many friends here in Storybrooke. She is not a flight risk.”

Emma hated to admit it, but Gold was good. She’d hate to have to battle him in court. Though, that D.A. seemed to be a good match for him. She still had no clue what they would use as collateral for the bail or how they’d pay the ten percent of whatever the bail was set to but they’d figure it out.

Tonight there were going to have dinner, in their apartment, and even if Mary Margaret continued to be angry with her, at least she’d be home.

“Ms. Blanchard has no real ties to the community. She has no family, owns no property, she could very easily leave town to avoid conviction.”

Emma glared in his direction but Gold prevented her from snapping.

“Sheriff Swan has agreed to be personally responsible for her. I highly doubt she would be able to leave town undetected.”

Regina whispered something into Spencer’s ear and Emma wondered how in the hell the D.A. was getting away with having the Mayor at his side. She was the Sheriff and she was stuck in the gallery.

“I’d like to point out that Sheriff Swan is a newcomer. She too has no real ties to the community and has lived in eight cities over the past ten years. If she were to aid Ms. Blanchard in an escape-“

“Your Honor, we’re here to discuss setting bail for Ms. Blanchard, not to discuss the Sheriff’s past.”

“He’s right, Mr. Spencer, stand down.”

Gold gave him a smug smirk before continuing.

“As for the Sheriff, if I may, she has her son in this town; I do not think she will be aiding anyone in escaping.”

“Mr. Gold,” the judge began, annoyed.

“My apologies, Your Honor.”

Regina and Gold exchanged murderous looks and Emma wondered if she’d be arresting someone else for murder soon.

The judge flipped through some paperwork before glancing up and meeting Regina’s eyes. It was very quick, barely noticeable, but Emma caught it. A sick feeling settled into her stomach and she realized she’d underestimated Regina’s reach in this town.

“I’ve reviewed the character witness testimonies and the evidence submitted by the prosecution and based on the nature of the crime and Ms. Blanchard’s lack of real ties to the community I’m denying bail.”

“This is ridiculous,” Emma explained as she shot up out of her chair. She couldn’t bite her tongue, not now.

“Not now, Sheriff,” Gold muttered.

Emma glanced over at Mary Margaret who hadn’t moved since the hearing began. She placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

“Mary Margaret, I’m sorry…” She knew Mary Margaret didn’t need to hear it would be all right or how this was most likely Regina’s doing. Emma didn’t know what to say to her but she knew she’d make sure she proved Mary Margaret didn’t do this.

Mary Margaret pulled away from Emma angrily. Emma felt as if she’d been slapped and honestly, she was sick of her shit. She’d done nothing but help her since this started and Mary Margaret was being ridiculous. Emma wasn’t taking her crap anymore. Hell, she two could play this game. Emma didn’t have to talk to her or play nice or do anything. Until she received an apology she wasn’t going to try anymore.

Emma cuffed her a bit too harshly and it was a very silent, tension filled ride back to the station.


	78. Late-Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August saves Emma from a tension filled night spent fighting with her best friend.

Emma sat in her office, trying to go over paperwork but she kept glancing up to check on Mary Margaret only to be met by Mary Margaret’s death stare. She rolled her eyes and glanced down at her paperwork. Emma had only lasted an hour before feeling bad and deciding that if she was the one locked up and accused of a murder she didn’t commit she’d be pissed off too, but that didn’t stop her from being a hundred percent done with Mary Margaret taking out all of her anger on her.

“Hello, ladies,” August called as he entered the station. “Adam,” he motioned towards Emma’s deputy before depositing a bag from Granny’s on his desk. He thanked August with a smile and Emma smiled with a shake of her head.

She stood and met him halfway. She greeted him with a kiss and took one of the many bags he had in his hands away.

“You’re going to spoil them, they already like you more than me,” she teased. She peeked into the bag and smiled when she saw French fries. If she ever got over her intimacy issues she was definitely marrying this one.

“Everyone likes me more than you,” he replied. She smacked his arm before grabbing the overnight bag he’d brought.

“Which one,” she asked, pointing to the remaining bags of food.

“Here,” he handed one to her and she took it with a smile.

“Thank you.” She moved through the station and unlocked Mary Margaret’s cell. “Here, dinner and a change of clothes.” Mary Margaret ignored her and Emma set them down with a huff. “Fine, take them if you want or don’t; starve for all I care.” She slammed the cell shut and locked it before storming back into her office. She shut the door and closed the blinds before throwing herself into her chair and reaching for the fried food.

“Are you…how are you?” August asked as he took a seat across from her. She looked up to see his worried expression and shrugged.

“I’m fine. I’m just tired and overworked and in a bad mood because I didn’t eat lunch.”

He gave her a ‘you’re lying’ look but he knew better than to keep pressing so he dropped it.

“Think if I try to talk to her she’ll ignore me some more?” He asked as Emma bit into her cheeseburger and she frowned.

“Probably. Did you eat?”

“Yes, Granny forced her lasagna on me. I love the old broad but I can tell it’s frozen.”

This earned him a smile.

“Come here,” she motioned. He leaned forward and she pressed a kiss to his lips before holding up her burger. He took a bite and she shoved a French fry in his mouth before he could pull away. He laughed and for a moment she forgot about the shitty day she’d just had.

“You look tired, maybe you should work from home tonight,” he suggested. She polished off her fries as she gave him the last bite of her burger and thought about it.

“I guess Adam can handle things here. I mean…its Storybrooke. The worst that will happen is he’ll have to bring Leroy in and leave Mary Margaret alone for a few minutes. And all I’m doing is going over the same evidence over and over again, hoping to spot something new.”

“Look at you, being reasonable, I like this side of you.”

“Fuck off,” Emma muttered as she gathered her things. “Mind walking? I drove the cruiser today.”

“Nope, come on, little lady. I’ll draw you a bath, distract you from work for a while, then go down on you if you behave,” he teased as he threw an arm around her.

“You’re an idiot,” she muttered as she opened the door to her office and walked out.

“Call me if you need anything. Leroy’s already been in here once this week, if you need to pick him up, swing by the hospital so Whale can look him over. I don’t need him getting alcohol poisoning and dying on my watch, got it?”

Adam nodded and Emma glanced towards Mary Margaret’s cell but she was feigning sleep. She sighed and led August out of the station. He put an arm around her once more and she leaned into him, allowing him to walk her home. They didn’t say anything and she was grateful. She needed time to just not say anything or think or just…nothing. She needed a good dose of nothing.

“Come on, I meant what I said about that bath,” August said, breaking the silence as they entered the loft. She shook her head and dumped her things on the kitchen table.

“No, I told you I was going to keep working.”

“Maybe a bath will help you relax.”

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. He was being a pain in the ass but she didn’t want to snap at him. Once the momentary feeling of annoyance passed she acknowledged that she was exhausted. He would probably try to force her to get a real night’s sleep and then they’d argue and she didn’t want that. She’d meet him half way and take a shower to wake herself up.

“I’m going to shower.”

“Want me to-“

“Nope!” She called; knowing what would happen if he joined her. She didn’t bother to shut the door behind her as she started stripping. He could see her through the crap glass anyway and it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen it all before. She rubbed at her tired eyes and removed her contacts before going about her regular before bed routine.

She emerged fifteen minutes later feeling three times better than she had earlier and stumbled around the loft looking for her glasses. Once she found them and could see again she grabbed her paperwork and curled up next to August on the sofa.

He glanced down at her and made a small grunting noise. Emma glanced up at him and gave him a pointed stare.

“Yes?”

“You’re really fucking hot, you know that?”

She rolled her eyes and moved to the other side of the couch, where she could work in peace. She found her place marker and began scanning the pages she’d read a hundred times once more. Her eyes felt heavy, even without the contacts in there to bother her, and she realized she was wasting her time. There was nothing new in here and until she found something, anything that would cause a jury to see reasonable doubt, Mary Margaret was going to be screwed.

August pressed his lips to her neck and she whined.

“I’m working.”

“No, you’re brooding, I know that look.”

She turned her head to look at him and pouted.

“I feel like there’s more I should be doing.”

He kissed her and took her file and tossed it onto the coffee table.

“You’re doing much more than anyone else would do for her. She knows that, she just needs someone to take out her frustrations on and you’re an easy target. We’ll figure this out.”

She gave him a small smiled before reaching up to cup his face.

“Thank you, for being here. I’d be going crazy without you.”

“And here I thought I drove you crazy.”

“Oh, you do, just in a different way.”

She leaned up and pressed her lips to his before wrapping her arms around his neck. August lowered her onto the couch before pressing her into it. She smirked against his lips as she realized he’d been patiently ignoring his own needs so she could work.

“A hard on? Really? I thought we were out of high school.”

“Those glasses are really doing it for me,” he growled as he bit her lip and kissed her again. She chuckled and tilted her head back as he moved his lips back to her neck.

“You’re such a moron,” she muttered. She giggled as his scruff tickled her shoulder.

“Yes, but I’m _your_ moron. Plus I’m adorable.”

“Hmm, yes, stop!”

Now he was tickling her on purpose and she was far too tired to play that game. He gazed up at her with that stupid grin on his face and she sighed and tossed her glassed onto the coffee table.

“Fine, take me to bed. I’m exhausted and maybe if I get some real sleep I’ll be able to find something tomorrow to help Mary Margaret.” She hated letting him get his way but she was looking forward to seeing how he put her to sleep tonight.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

August scooped her into his arms and she resisted the urge to squeal. She felt like an idiot around him and she kind of liked it. He threw her into bed and she pulled him on top of her and kissed him slowly as she reached for his trousers. She was five minutes away from completely passing out but that was all she needed to assist him with his little problem.


	79. Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A restless Emma calls August for a little pick-me-up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t even realize there was so much smut bunched together until I was editing these to post so you’re welcome.

Emma sat in her office, in the dark, trying to think. Her forehead was pressed against the chilly wood of her desk and she sighed, knowing it was stupid to keep working late and overtime for nothing. She’d re-combed the woods, asked David to search his house for any clues, and even tried making a list of anyone who wasn’t Regina who would want to harm Kathryn and nothing. She was right back to where she started; shit out of luck.

She felt miserable and she didn’t even want to face Mary Margaret for another attempt at reconciliation.

Yes, she, Emma Swan, twenty-eight, Sheriff was hiding in her office from her best friend.

This was pathetic.

She could pace again but that was useless. She’d go home to sleep but it was still too early for sleep plus without August she couldn’t and even with him she wasn’t sure if he mind would shut down long enough to allow her to get any real rest. She’d only slept the past two nights because she’d been exhausted; once because of August wearing her out and the other because she’d worn herself out by overdoing it here in the station.

Hell, she’d only finished getting him off last night because he came fast. She didn’t even remember pulling her hand away after, she just recalled waking up a few times while nodding off to him pressing a kiss to her temple and snuggling her.

Emma sat up and swirled in her chair with a small pout. She could use a good snuggle or any human interaction, really, but snuggling sounded wonderful right about now.

She picked up the phone and dialed August’s room, where she knew he’d be holed up with his typewriter.

“Ems,” he answered. She smirked and toyed with a pen on her desk.

“How did you know it was me?”

“Because I only have five friends in this town; Henry who wouldn’t call, Mary Margaret who’s in jail, Ruby and Granny who live a floor above me, and then there’s you.”

She stuck her tongue out before she realized he couldn’t see her and then blushed. He really did bring out the child in her sometimes. She cleared her throat and swiveled in her chair once more.

“Well, I know it’s past dinner time but I am really bored so I was thinking maybe we could grab something that wasn’t from Granny’s. Or you know diner food; whatever. I’m not even hungry, I just want out of this station.”

“I already had dinner,” he said guiltily. “You said you wanted to work and I wanted to give you some space so you don’t get sick of me,” he started and she cut him off.

“No, it’s fine, August.” She didn’t want him feeling bad. They couldn’t spend every minute of the day together.

“Want me to grab something and we can take a walk?”

“No, it’s fine. You have work to do and I should get home. I’m exhausted, maybe I should sleep.”

“We both know that’s not going to happen.”

“No, you’re right, it’s not.”

“Why don’t we go take a walk by the docks? I’ll bring some hot chocolate.”

“No.” Emma shook her head and tossed her pen down before leaning back in her chair. “You need to get writing done; I’ve been taking up too much of your time.”

“Emma, I would never-“

“I know, August. But it’s true. I’ll be fine. I’m a big girl I can find something to keep me entertained.”

“Are you sure? I have been holed up here most of the day. I could use a break.”

She gnawed on her lower lip for a moment. She hated to admit it but she missed him. She’d never been this attached to someone who was good for her before and she’d gotten used to having him around and being there at the apartment when she got home and just being with him. But she knew if they met up for a walk it would turn into going back to her place and she’d once again be distracting him from his work. She was going to be responsible for once.

“Yeah, I actually put in a request to subpoena Kathryn’s e-mails so maybe that will come in before I go home and I can look those over tonight.”

“When are you planning to head home?”

“Um…what time is it?” She glanced at the wall and noticed it was far later than she thought. “Oh crap, I don’t know, in like an hour?”

“I was thinking of heading to bed anyway, I could meet you there.”

“August…”

“What? I miss you. We have unfinished business.”

“We do?”

“Yes, you fell asleep before I could return the favor last night.”

Heat crept up the back of her neck and she shook her head.

“If we’re going to start keeping score of who owes whom I think I owe you. You’re Mr. Generous when it comes to the cunnilingus, sir.”

“Are you complaining?” He taunted.

Emma scoffed.

“No, I’m just saying; don’t feel like you owe me anything.”

“Who says I do? Maybe I just miss the way you taste and want to delve into your delectable cunt until you’re hoarse from screaming my name.”

“August!” She scolded. She was embarrassed to be aroused by so few words. Damn him. “I’m a work! I can’t have phone sex with you!”

“Why not?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Because the last thing I need is for Regina to catch me…you _know_.”

“You don’t have to touch yourself, I like the idea of knowing you’re all hot and bothered with no way to relieve it and that you’re going to hold off on it until I can get my hands on you.”

Emma pressed her knees together and exhaled through her nose.

“ _August_ ,” she hissed.

“What are you wearing?”

“My uniform, what else would I be wearing?”

“Is your hair down? You know how much I love those curls.”

She could picture him sitting there with that dumb smug look on his face and she wanted to slap him, however she could also picture him stroking himself and that image was far too hot to not want to encourage him.

“No, I have it pulled back,” she whispered and turned her chair so that her back was to the door. She cursed her hot cheeks and cleared her throat. “But can I tell you a secret?”

“Always.”

“I like it when you pull it down and run your fingers through it. You get so impatient when you can’t get it on the first try and then you let out this sexy little growl that makes me want you to throw me down and just fuck me already.”

He hissed and she could picture the pained look on his face and it amused her.

“And you know what really gets me hot? Thinking about you running your fist over that perfect cock of yours; I swear that thing was sculpted by the God’s.” A nervous chuckle escaped his lips and she narrowed her eyes, determined to make him unravel. “The only thing I’d love more than to watch you jerk-off would be to wrap my lips around it.”

“Hnng, woman, are you trying to kill me?” He hissed and she smirked. He’d asked for this with his dirty talk, it wasn’t her fault she was better at this than he; some writer he was.

“No, darling, I just want you to get off,” she replied in a sickly-sweet voice. “Please, just do it, for me.” She dropped her voice and even pouted for the full effect. “It’ll make me feel so much better about going home and resting if I know you’re going to sleep well without me.”

“I’ll sleep better if you just come here right now and let me show you how hot you make me.”

While she was tempted, this was better. She wanted him, bad, but knowing she held all of the power gave her a thrill almost as satisfying as an orgasm.

“Take off your belt,” she commanded. He growled, obviously wanting to get his way, but she could hear him push his chair back, obeying her like the good boy he was. “Now,” she instructed and listened as he fumbled around. Once she heard it hit the floor she smirked. “Now stand up.”

“Ems…”

“Mr. Booth I am the sheriff of this town and I’m telling you to stand up. Trust me you don’t want to be punished by me; it won’t be pleasant for you.” She’d happily cuff him, strip him down, and leave him for a few hours, hard and frustrated and angry. The sex afterwards would be amazing.

“Fucking minx,” he snarled.

“Once you stand, I want you to pop open your jeans and then kick them off.”

She listened as he followed her orders and swirled in chair once more with a smirk. She picked up a pen just to have something to chew on while she fought how turned on this was making her.

“Now slip off your boxers and bare that fine ass.” She bit her lip to keep from laughing. She could picture him rolling his eyes and it amused her.

“Now what?”

“Well, baby, I want you to sit that fine ass down and imagine me on my knees in front of you sucking you off while you stroke yourself.”

He made a noise that was a mix of a groan, moan, and a whine.

“Please?”

“I’m getting you back for this,” he warned and she chuckled.

“I can’t wait.”

While she couldn’t see what was happening on the other line she could picture it. His calloused hand tugging while he bit his lip with his eyes closed and…Emma swallowed hard. She had to keep reminding herself that she was at work and those images could be saved for later, when she was alone in bed with a new pack of batteries for her vibrator.

She could sense the moment he really got into it because he didn’t hide his grunts. The images came back and she realized that her vibrator wasn’t what she wanted. No, she wanted him, all of him, but she’d settle for a little something to tide them both over until it was the right time.

“Jesus, fuck,” August muttered when he came and an evil grin formed on her lips.

“Sweet dreams, lover,” she whispered before hanging up on him without another word.

She was just passing the time here at the station, doing nothing. There was one cure for her restlessness and she planned to do something about it and there was one person who could help her.

Emma picked up her phone and dialed someone who she knew would be the perfect wing-woman.

“Hello, Ruby.”


	80. Coupling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma sneaks into August's room to give him a surprise.

August slammed down the phone and cursed Emma’s name. She was evil; he had it in his mind to march over to the station, throw her down on her desk, and fuck her until the entire town knew his name. However, as much as he hated to admit it, her little trick had worked; he was fucking exhausted. He groaned and pulled a pair of sweat pants on before throwing off his shirt and climbing into bed.

He began plotting all of the ways he would get her back for her little stunt, having no clue she was planning yet another to torment him with.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Thanks again, Ruby.”

“Always happy to help, Emma,” Ruby replied mischievously. She’d had the same grin on her face since Emma had met her down in the lobby. Emma had known Ruby would be peached to participate, but not this much. Poor Ruby was more bored than Emma thought, that or she really enjoyed helping her friends get laid.

“You sure no one saw us?” Emma whispered as they reached the landing.

“Nope, here,” she slipped Emma the heavy key and she smirked.

“Thanks.”

She knew she could pick the lock but who knew who would catch her and August was a light sleeper, she didn’t want to risk waking him. She slipped the key into the lock and slowly turned it. The locked clicked and she popped the door open just a smidge. They both listened, to make sure he hadn’t woken. Once Emma was sure she could slip in undetected she handed Ruby back the key.

“Have fun,” Ruby taunted as she gave her a wink and moved to the stairs.

“Don’t worry, I will,” she muttered as she slipped into the room. She shut the door quietly and turned to find August’s sleeping form. He looked so peaceful and completely out of it for once; it was a shame she’d have to wake him.

She shrugged out of her coat and kicked off her shoes. She had gone home only to change into something comfortable enough to sleep in. She shook her hair out of its ponytail as she approached the bed with a smirk. She tossed her keys onto the nightstand before climbing under the covers with him.

As if by instinct August reached out and pulled her against him. He muttered something in his sleep and kissed her forehead before going back to sleeping soundly. She squirmed out of his grip so she could straddle his waist. She pressed both hands to his chest and leaned down to kiss him.

He stayed asleep and she sighed, this was going to be harder than she thought.

She kissed him again before tugging on his lower lip with her teeth.

“August, wake up,” she whispered. He stirred and she kissed him again. This time he returned the kiss and moved his hands from her ass to her back and up until they found their way into her hair.

He pulled away a moment later and stared up at her blinking his eyes in confusion.

“Emma?”

“Hello, lover,” she grinned before leaning down and kissing him once more. She shoved him back onto the mattress and kissed his jaw before working her way across his neck and down his chest. She tugged on his sweats and dipped her head down to take him into her mouth.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

He was in a wonderful dream. Emma lay atop him, kissing her way along his body, making him hard in the process. He moved his fingers through her hair and sighed. These were his favorite dreams. The only way this could be better would be if he woke to find her curled up next to him, peacefully asleep. He was surprised he could sleep at all, with her absence. He’d find a way to be with her tomorrow-

August’s eyes shot open as he realized he was neither dreaming nor asleep. Instead he’d been trapped somewhere in-between consciousness and sleep. The moment Emma wrapped her lips around his cock he became suddenly alert to his surroundings.

Had she snuck into his room to-

August moaned and bucked his hips up so he could aid her in her work.

“Hot damn woman, fuck!”

This was amazing. The combination of her hot, skilled mouth with the surprise of waking to find her blowing him got him off within minutes. He tangled her hair between his fingers and pulled her mouth against his as he crushed her body against his chest. He kissed her until she went slack against him and pulled away, breathless.

“Not that I mind, but what the fuck was that?”

Emma smiled up at him coyly and toyed with his chest hair.

“Surprise.”

He kissed her again with a smile. He was pleased, not only because she was now in his bed, but because if she was here it meant she’d get some rest. It also meant that instead of stressing herself out as she had been recently, she’d been plotting evil deeds. He could use more of this Emma, he’d been so worried about her lately; he couldn’t wait for this Mary Margaret business to be done with so Emma could have some peace of mind.

August broke the kiss and pressed a kiss to her forehead then temple.

“That’s my kind of surprise, princess,” he muttered as he fought back a yawn. She pulled the covers over them both before squirming away from him so she could lay curled at his side.

“Don’t get used to it,” she teased. He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her middle as he spooned her. He kissed her shoulder and moved his lips to her ear.

“Would you like your own surprise?” He whispered. He would happily spend the rest of the next as her personal boy toy, if she asked for it. He wanted nothing more than for her to be happy and he’d gladly spend the rest of his life making sure that she was and catering to her every whim.

He loved her and there was nothing he could do to prove how much, for he was sure no one had ever loved anyone as much as he loved her, but he’d try. He’d never forgive himself for leaving her and missing out on a lifetime of loving her, but he hoped…

Well, he hoped she could.

He pressed another kiss to her shoulder and glanced down at her expectantly.

“Not tonight, save it for another day, when I don’t know it’s coming,” she replied with a small grin. She glanced back and raised her head to press her lips to his. “After we get Mary Margaret out of jail we should leave Storybrooke…just for a few days, to be alone.”

Their eyes met for a moment and he knew what she was really saying; she was ready to be with him completely, but she couldn’t be happy while her best friend was miserable. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

“That sounds like a plan, princess.”

She smiled and turned back to her side. August held her closely and buried his face in her hair. He waited until the slow, rhythmic sounds of her slumbering breaths filled his ears before allowing himself to join her in sleep.


	81. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Mary Margaret hash things out.

Emma strode into the station, ignoring her deputies as she went.

“Out,” she barked, wanting to be alone.

This morning she was a woman on a mission. She wasn’t going to take anyone’s shit. She’d been dealing with it for far too long in this town and it was time to remind people that not only was she a powerful woman who was quite literally in charge around here but that she had zero fucks to give about anyone who questioned otherwise. She also had none to give to people, even if they were her friends, who were intent on seeping in their own private pity party.

“Get up!” Emma commanded once they were alone. She yanked open Mary Margaret’s cell door and threw an overnight bag at her feet. She then tossed down a bag of food from the diner.

“You are eating, then you’re showering and changing clothes, whether you like it or not. I will hold you down and force feed you if I have to and Ruby is on speed dial, she will gladly help me haul your ass into the showers.”

Mary Margaret glared and Emma tossed her keys to the floor before stripping off her jacket.

“Do I look like I’m fucking kidding? I’m sick and tired of watching you sit around feeling sorry for yourself. No jury is going to believe you’re innocent if you’re wasting away, they’ll call it your guilt consuming you or some bullshit. You’re going to suck up your pride and hurt feelings and hatred of me and put on your big girl panties. You’re going to start eating and talking to people and become a normal human being again.”

“Emma, I’m not in the moo-“

“Oh, it speaks. Great. Now eat your goddamn lunch.”

“You’re not my moth-“

“Today I am,” Emma snapped.

Mary Margaret crossed her arms and Emma shut the cell door.

“You can be pissed off at me all you want, but the fact is I’m the only person on your side here. I’m the one who’s been working endlessly to find anything that can help you beat this and you’ve done nothing but treat me like shit and you know what, I can handle you hating me, but I am not about to keep sitting back and watching as you throw your life away.

You’re already acting like you’ve lost, you have no fight left.

I thought you were better than that.”

“Oh, you know nothing about me!”

This was good, Emma thought. She had to hide her amusement; she needed to work Mary Margaret up into wanting to fight for her freedom or else there was no point to any of this.

“Yes, I do. You’re the pathetic, lonely schoolteacher who had to chase after a married man.”

“Shut up,” she warned, but Emma kept going.

“Poor Mary Margaret, stupid enough to think he’d leave her. They all say they’ll leave, but only a fool actually belie-“

“SHUT UP!” Mary Margaret was in her face now and Emma smirked.

“Well, you do remember how to stand up for yourself. Good, you’re going to need that anger in the courtroom. And that was nothing compared to how Spencer is going to paint you with his good friend Regina at his side.”

Mary Margaret blinked, bringing tears to her eyes. Emma ignored them. She opened the bag from Granny’s and set out Mary Margaret’s lunch.

“Now come on, eat something. You’re never going to be able to fight Regina without something in your stomach-“

Mary Margaret threw her arms around Emma, knocking the air out of her. Emma took a moment to recover before patting her arm awkwardly. She could tell Mary Margaret was crying and Emma never did do well with tears.

“I’m sorry-“

“No, don’t be.” Emma understood why Mary Margaret was angry but she just needed her to get over it. Everything she did, every emotion, all of it would be placed under a microscope for Spencer to exploit her. Emma needed her to put on a brave face and fight to keep her life, not to sit around sulking.

“Do you really think we can beat this?”

Emma patted Mary Margaret’s arm awkwardly.

“Honestly? I have no idea, but we’re going to try. We’re not going down without giving it our best, Mary Margaret, I promise. You, me, August, Ruby, and Henry; we’re all going to give it our all. We all believe in you.”

“Thank you,” Mary Margaret whispered.

“Come on, you’re looking frail,” Emma scolded. Her friend released her and wiped at her eyes. She sat down and Emma waited until she had some food in her stomach before speaking again.

“Now…do you promise to be brave? No more sulking? You’re going to put on a good show and keep yourself in check and do whatever it takes to make sure you’re not convicted?”

Mary Margaret took another bite and nodded.

“Good, because I need to tell you something and you’re not going to like it.”

Mary Margaret swallowed hard and shot Emma a cold stare.

“You promise-“

“What happened?”

“Henry came to me with keys he took from Regina’s office. Mary Margaret, she has skeleton keys to the entire town, including our apartment.”

“That’s proof she broke in!”

“No, it’s not. I can’t use that in court-“

“Is that why you kept it from me?”

“Yes. There’s no use in getting you worked up over things we can’t do anything about, but this is a good thing. Now I know for sure she’s framing you and I’m going to find a way to prove it, I just need to you trust that I’m going to keep you safe.”

“Oh, Emma, but no one ever beats her!”

“I’ll be the first,” Emma replied fiercely. She didn’t care what she had to do or how legal it was; there was no way she was going to let Regina win this one.

Mary Margaret nodded and took hold of Emma’s hand.

“Then go get the bitch,” Mary Margaret whispered and for the first time since this whole ordeal began Emma saw fight in her friend’s eyes.


	82. Smooth Criminal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Encouraged by working things out with Mary Margaret, Emma attempted another break-in but this one doesn’t go as smoothly as planned.

Emma was in a good mood. Hell, she was in a _great_ mood. Mary Margaret finally had some faith and for the first time Emma actually believed they could win this. She wasn’t sure how, but they’d figure something out.

With a smug smile, she glanced over her shoulders once more to check her surroundings. Once she was sure she would not be caught she slipped a metal pin into the lock to August’s room. She was feeling overly confident tonight and she did not need Ruby’s help to surprise her man this time; she was a great lock pick and she’d be in his room in no time. Just one more turn and then-

The door swung open and Emma looked up to find a shirtless August grinning down at her.

“You know, princess, as amusing as I find these little late-night excursions of yours, all you have to do is knock when you want some of this,” he taunted. She glared at him. He was such a cocky bastard with his chiseled abs and good looks and messy hair and scruff and what was she doing on the floor instead of getting some of that?

Emma stood with a small huff. She was going to wipe that smirk right off of his face. She shoved her lock picking kit into her overnight bag and threw it into his room. She unbuttoned her trench coat and pulled it open to reveal that she was in nothing more than black panties and stockings held up with a garter belt.

“Jesus, fuck,” August muttered before pulling her into the room. He crushed her body against his chest and kissed her hungrily. She smirked and used her heel to kick the door shut right before he threw her against it. His lips moved to her neck as he pushed her coat off and her hands went for the strings on his bottoms. August kicked them off and went for her breasts. Emma leaned her head back with a moan as she scratched her nails down his back.

She was glad he was into this for a second night in a row. She wanted him, bad, plus the distraction was always nice. Her good mood could only last for so long before the worry and doubt crept back in and she found that he helped keep those feelings at bay.

August kissed his way down her body until he was on his knees. He ran his hands up her legs and whistled.

“You should wear these more often,” he said appreciatively as he toyed with the straps, contemplating his next move. After a few moments he pressed a kiss to her inner thigh. “Let’s keep them on, for now,” he whispered, sending a shiver down her spine.

He pressed his lips against her cunt and arousal flooded her. His warm breath penetrated through the flimsy fabric of her panties, getting her wet. She moved a hand through his hair, encouraging him to get on with it.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma Swan was far too good to be true. He’d done nothing in his pathetic life to deserve such a treasure but boy was he going to cherish her.

He trailed his hand down her inner thigh. He could feel her patience waning, but he wanted to take his time with her. Sure, mad, passionate tearing at clothes was always fun, but tormenting her was even more so.

And idea struck him and he pressed his mouth to her with a smirk.

“Get on the desk.”

“What?”

He pulled away and stared up at her.

“Get.

On.

The.

Desk.”

He was more commanding than usual and judging by the flush to her cheeks, she liked it. She gnawed on her lower lip as she did as she was told.

“Lean back.”

She rested her elbows on the desk to prop herself up and he used his hands to pull her knees apart so he could really get a look at her. She was beautiful. He knew she didn’t believe him but she really was the most beautiful woman he’d ever encountered. And she was the sexiest. She knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for it, she wasn’t shy about her body, and she gave as good as she got.

And those fucking stockings…

“August?” She panted and he realized he’s gotten lost in admiring her while trailing his hands over her body.

“Sorry, princess,” he muttered as he knelt down between her legs. He knew this would be easier if he just got her naked but fuck, just the sight of her in her get-up had him hard.

August slipped her panties to the side and dipped his tongue into her. He allowed himself a moment to savor her taste before using his fingers to spread her open so he could really delve in. He fucked her with his tongue and used his thumb to play her clit until she was a writhing, screaming mess beneath him. Emma gripped the edges of the desk and cried out his name as she came.

It gave him a smug sense of satisfaction every time he got her off but he also liked watching her come undone. Emma was so walled off most of the time that it was sexy as hell to watch her lose herself because of him.

He kissed her thigh and then behind her knee and then lifted her off the desk. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pressed his lips to hers.

“Come on, princess, my bed’s got your name all over it.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

She was glad he was willing to carry her because she wasn’t sure her knees would hold after that. She’d come here to rock his world and he’d turned the tables on her, not that she was complaining. She pressed her face against his chest and gave it light, lazy kissed while he stroked her hair. Content from her orgasm and relaxed in his comfortable bed she felt ready to doze off for the next week.

August pulled out of their embrace and she whined, missing the contact. He took her hands and pressed his lips to her knuckles with that look in his eyes. The look that scared the hell out of her. The one that said he’d do anything for her. That he’d die for her if it came down to that. Anyone loving her that much sent fear coursing through her and incited her instinct to go running.

But she wasn’t going to run, not this time. Not from him, not from Storybrooke, and she sure as hell wasn’t running from Henry. Even if she only got to see the kid once every few days it was enough. She couldn’t bear to never see him again, even if not getting to be his mom full-time broke her heart.

August kissed her fingertip and then another and then another until his lips had made contact with each one.

“Thank you,” she whispered, breaking their comfortable silence.

“For what?”

“Being here. I’d have fallen apart by now without you. I don’t know how to let people depend on me, it’s been just me for so long and I don’t know if I would still be here without you. I’ve never had anyone to lean on until you and it’s helped. This has all been hard and…”

Emma sighed and squeezed his hand.

“I know what you’ve been doing, August. Making sure I eat and sleep and take care of myself.”

“Emma, I now you can do it on your own, I just want to take care of-“

“No, I wouldn’t have done it on my own. I’d have left myself run into the ground and then when it got too hard I’d have cut my losses and run. I know you just want to take care of me because of how you feel about me and I want you to know I appreciate it. If it wasn’t for the attention, without Mary Margaret…” She swallowed and cleared her throat. Discussing her feelings and insecurities and flaws wasn’t easy for her but she was trying.

“I’d be withering away without you, so accept your thanks and kiss me already, will you?”

He cupped her cheek with a smile.

“You’re welcome,” he teased as he leaned in to kiss her. He pressed his forehead to hers and moved his arms around her shoulders.

She opened her mouth but bit her tongue. She felt things for him, things she didn’t know she was capable of feeling, not anymore, but they scared her. She was so used to losing everyone and she couldn’t bear to lose him. She wanted to be with him, to really be with him, to try this whole relationship thing and to be committed to him but she was still too afraid to utter the words.

However, despite her fears she was ready to try, she was just going to need more time. Time she hoped he was willing to give her. He’d be incredibly patient with her thus far and she just needed a tiny bit more.

“I don’t deserve you,” she whispered as she covered his hand with her own and leaned up to press her mouth to his once more.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“I don’t deserve you.”

August gazed down at her and shook his head. She had no idea how wrong she was. She deserved everything he could never give her. If anyone was undeserving in this relationship, it was him. He wanted to confess everything to her, right then and there, but he couldn’t, not yet. He still had to try to find the dagger, to spare her the burden of breaking the curse, or at the very least to make it easier on her. A small piece of him died knowing he could very well lose her when it was finally time to come clean and guilt crept up on him.

“Emma,” he whispered, knowing there was one thing he could confess. Something he suspected she was finally ready to hear. “I lo-“ Emma pressed her finger to his lips and shook her head.

“I know but I can’t, not now. I can’t…not until she’s free.” He knew she needed to focus on Mary Margaret and that handling her feelings was hard enough so he nodded, respecting her need to wait. He’d wait until his dying breath if that’s what it took. Anything she wanted or needed. He loved her enough to put his needs aside.

She sighed in relief and he took hold her face and leaned down to kiss her. If he couldn’t tell her that he loved her then he could at least show her.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma took hold of him and pulled him on top of her, returning his kiss. She could still hear her heart pounding in her ears. He’d been about to tell her he loved her and she wasn’t sure what frightened her more; the fact that he was going to say it or that she wanted him to. It wasn’t fair to Mary Margaret, for Emma to be falling in love with a wonderful man while her best friend was locked away for a murder she hadn’t committed.

She felt tears sting her eyes as she realized she was actually ready for this. Once they freed Mary Margaret she and August were going to be together and she was going to find some way to be in Henry’s life more regularly and she was going to allow herself to make a life here and be happy.

August moved his lips to her eyelids, capturing her tears and then kissed her cheeks before finding her lips once more. He was such a romantic idiot and she loved him for it.

Emma slipped fingers through his hair as he deepened their kiss and pressed her into the mattress. She wrapped her legs around him for comfort and allowed herself to enjoy the feel of his weight on her and his lips.

It was a strange thing, one moment they were kissing, lazily, practically cuddling, and then the energy between them shifted. Their kisses suddenly became hungrier, more frantic. Her hands itched to touch every inch of him and she reached for whatever she could grab. His fingers slipped over her panties until they came off, along with her stockings. He pressed his lips to the cleft between her breasts and she raised her hips to his, filled with need.

This was it, she thought, it was finally happening and it was the perfect time.

August nuzzled his face against the crook of her neck for a moment before kissing his way back to her lips. He pulled away to gaze down at her and brushed her hair away from her face.

“We don’t have to,” he whispered.

He was hard and pressed against her and she rubbed against him, wishing he’d just end her suffering already. She didn’t want him to be a gentleman right now, okay, maybe she did. She wanted him to make love to her properly, the way he wanted, and then when he was done she wanted him to fuck her until neither of them could walk.

“Please,” she pleaded. She wasn’t going to beg him, if he didn’t enter her within the next ten seconds she was going to flip him over and ride him until they woke the entire Inn.

He took hold of her waist and she sighed in relief. She wanted to cry for joy. Waiting had been torture. She was going to spend the rest of their lives torturing him in return for insisting they wait.

Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.

“Show me,” she whispered with her lips still against his. She wasn’t ready for either of them to speak the words but she was ready for this.

“Dammit, Emma.” He gave her a look that told her everything she needed to know about his feelings for her. She kissed him once more as he trailed his hands over her sides. He reached between their bodies and positioned himself and Emma felt excitement stir in her chest.

Finally.

“Fuck,” August muttered a moment later and she pulled away an inch and frowned.

“What?”

“I don’t-shit! You are such an idiot, August-we don’t have a condom.” She could see him mentally beating himself up and she hit her head against the pillow with a frustrated sigh. She could not believe she hadn’t thought to bring any and they never spent any time in his room so why would he have them?

“We don’t need one,” she said without thinking. Once the words were out of her mouth she began trying to talk herself into it. What was the harm, really? She wasn’t a fertile teenager anymore; maybe they could get away with it, just this once?

She saw the skeptical look in his eyes and realized she could not handle the repercussions of not being safe. She only wanted to be a mother to Henry and she knew neither of them was ready for a child, period.

“Fuck, we’re so stupid,” she muttered as she closed her eyes angrily. She wanted to cry. It was going to be perfect. They’d been…and…ugh!

“I’m sorry,” August muttered as he placed kisses along her face. She withheld the urge to cry out in frustration. Even if one of them left to get said condoms now, by the time they returned the mood would be gone, hell, the moment was already ruined.

“I swear to God, August, the next time the time is right nothing is stopping us. I don’t care if we have an audience and if it lands me pregnant, we’re going to-“

He cut her off with a kiss and she whined, still upset. .

“I promise, I’m going to clean out the pharmacy and I’m going to put them everywhere; all over this room, your apartment, the station, hell, I’m even going to keep one in my wallet at all times.”

“Good, you’d better; because the last thing I need right now is another kid.” And if they didn’t fuck soon she was going to lose her mind.

He pressed his lips to her temple and she could feel him trying to hide a smile.

“What is so funny?”

“You don’t want to hear it.”

“August,” she warned, not in the mood. Neither one of them was getting off and she didn’t want to hear about his own private jokes with himself anymore.

“I just don’t think the two of us with a baby would be with the wost-“

“I’m going to stop you right there.”

She turned to her side with a pout and he wrapped his arms around her from behind. She could feel his erection pressed against her leg but she was too put out to do anything about it.

“Don’t get mad, I just…if it did happen, I wouldn’t go anywhere,” he promised and she believed him, which scared her a whole hell of a lot more than loving him did.

“Let’s get to the banging before you start getting sappy on me with the baby talk, all right mister.”

“We’ll get right on that,” he replied with a kiss to her shoulder. She rolled her eyes before closing them. Her arousal was long forgotten as she began contemplating how serious he was about this baby thing, so much so that when she finally drifted off to sleep babies were the only thing that filled her dreams.


	83. Good Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our pair of lovebirds have a _very_ good morning.

It was a strange thing. One moment she was dreaming of an adorable blue-eyed, blond haired child chasing Henry around the type of backyard she’d always wanted for herself and the next moment her dream was filled of how said child would be made.

She stirred with a small moan and realized there was a reason for the abrupt shift in her unconscious mind.

Emma blinked herself awake as something grazed her inner thigh.

“ _Oh_ ,” she muttered as she realized it was scruff and that August was-

“Morning, princess.”

She blurrily recalled him pressing kisses to her lips, neck, and chest while whispering that it was time to wake. She’d thought she’d been dreaming at first but he’d been attempting to rip her from her slumber.

Well, she thought, if she was going to wake up to this she’d be willing to become more of a morning person.

Emma was far too groggy to do anything but literally lay back and enjoy which August didn’t seem to mind. He took his time, slowly lapping at her, using his tongue to swirl around her clit, and she swore she could feel him spelling out words, probably writing out a story while also sending her over the edge; two birds with one hell of a parlor trick.

“Fuck,” she muttered, her eyes still closed. She must have drifted off after her orgasm because when she became aware of her surroundings once more and forced herself to open her eyes he was gone. Emma frowned and glanced at the clock. It was still early; she couldn’t have nodded off for more than five minutes. Had she offended him? Or was he off getting coffee?

The pipes in the bathroom creaked and a moment later the sound of the shower running filled the small room. Emma smirked and kicked away her remaining covers. She had a favor to repay.

Still naked from the night before, she sauntered towards the bathroom, feeling sexy and ready to pounce. August hadn’t bothered to fully shut the door and she poked her head in. She watched his silhouette through the shower curtain for a moment and sighed with appreciation; _damn_.

Emma slipped in and shut the door behind her.

“Ems?”

Damn, she’d been caught.

“Just brushing my teeth!” She called and reached for his mouthwash to make a show of it. She washed and rinsed, not wanting to kiss him with morning breath, and so she could sneak into the shower with him moments later.

“Hey-“ he began as he turned and caught sight of her standing behind him. She shut him up with a kiss before shoving him against the shower wall. She took the soap from his hand and moved to her knees to give him a proper lathering.

“Fuck, Emma, I could get used to waking up like this every day.”

So could she, which should frighten her, instead she told him to shut the fuck up; this was not a time for conversation.

Emma allowed the water to rinse the soap off of him before taking him into her mouth. Already hard from her warming him up, he came shortly after. She was grateful; the bathtub was hard on her knees and this was uncomfortable. Next time, she’d save it for the bedroom.

She kept going until he went soft in her mouth before releasing him. She glanced up at him smugly as he rested his head against the shower tiles, catching his breath with one hand still tangled in her wet hair. She stood and reached for the shampoo with a grin.

“Oh, Ems, I-“

She cut him off with a kiss before turning her back to him.

“Come on, lover, I have to get ready for work.” She tossed him the bottle so he could wash her hair for her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close so he could press his lips to her neck.

“Gladly, princess.”


	84. Granny's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During breakfast, Henry gives August his nod of approval.

“You have a little something-“ Emma reached up brush away powdered sugar from the corner of August’s mouth but he leaned down and kissed her before she could complete her task. She grinned against his lips before licking it off. “Well, that’s one way to get things clean,” she teased.

“The best,” he retorted before pressing a kiss to her nose and returning to his breakfast.

“You two are so cute I think I’m getting a cavity,” Ruby quipped as she took a seat on the other side of their booth.

“Sweet,” August corrected.

“What?”

“You get a cavity from sweets.”

Ruby rolled her eyes.

“Whatever, look, I know it’s none of my business, but if you don’t gag this one,” she motioned towards Emma, “the entire town is going to know what the two of you get up to after hours. I’m glad you’re getting laid but damn girl, keep it down, will you?”

Emma didn’t even bother to feel shame or bashful. She shrugged and took a bite of her bacon.

“Don’t look at me, it’s his fault. The things this man can do with his-“

“Henry! Hey, kiddo,” August called nervously. Emma’s face went red and she turned quickly, hoping he hadn’t heard a word of their conversation. She sighed in relief when she realized he was near the door, too far away to be traumatized by his birth mother’s sex life.

Ruby snorted and slipped out of the booth so she could return to work.

“Here, Henry, why don’t you join them?”

She gave them a wink before disappearing behind the counter.

“Hey, kid.” If Emma had been blissfully happy a moment ago, allowing herself to get swept up in this new love business, it was nothing compared to how she felt being in her kid’s presence. Even if she knew she’d only see him for a few moments it was enough. She didn’t know how she’d gone his entire life being apart from him. It physically hurt when she had to leave him again. She wished she could go back to that day ten years ago and hold him. If she’d allowed herself to touch him, to look at him, to do anything but scream at the nurse to take him out of the room right away she knew she would have never been able to give him away. One moment was all it would have taken to be even more in love with him than she’d already been and she’d have kept him.

Letting him go was still the biggest mistake and regret in her life and she was forced to keep doing it because no matter how much she loved him or how much better off she wanted to believe he would be with a mother who put him first, he wasn’t really hers, not anymore. She’d lost her right to be his mother the moment she’d signed those papers and she would never forgive herself.

August took hold of her hand and she glanced back, wondering if he could sense her guilt. He gave her a small nod and she smiled; he knew her too well.

“How is Miss Blanchard?” Henry asked as he took a seat. Emma slathered his favorite jam onto her untouched toast before piling the remainder of her bacon on it and sliding it over to him. He took it happily and Emma wondered if Regina ever bothered to feed him. Throwing money at him and letting him do what he pleased around town wasn’t exactly parenting.

“She’s good, kiddo. She’s a fighter. She knows the people who love her are fighting for her,” Emma told him with a smile.

He nodded and Ruby appeared with a hot chocolate, just the way he liked it.

“Thanks, Ruby!”

She winked.

“Anytime, kid.”

“So, how is school? Who’s your substi-“ Emma’s phone cut through the air like a stab in her heart and she sighed. Of course, the moment she had a few minutes alone with her kid, away from Regina, the station would call. “I’m sorry, kid, I need to take this.”

With a frown she answered her phone and left her boys alone at the table.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“So, how is school?” August began. Sure, Henry wasn’t exactly going to be his future step-son if things kept going well with Emma, well, he would be, if August got his way. Once the curse broke, there would be no law that could keep Emma separated from him. Things would become the way they should be. She’d have Henry again and be happy. August could see it in her eyes every time he was near. She loved Henry more than either one of them knew. Her entire aura shifted when her son was near. She became happy, truly happy, and then when he left?

August blamed himself for her pain. If only he had stayed-

“I saw you kissing my mom.”

“Well, we are dating, kid. If I remember, you did give me perm-“

“You should do it more,” Henry interrupted.

August blinked in surprise.

“What?”

“It makes her smile. She’s not happy anymore, not since Miss Blanchard got arrested. I don’t like seeing her sad,” Henry explained.

August’s heart clenched and he wanted to crush Henry against his chest and never let him go. No wonder Emma was crazy about the kid. For the hundredth time he regretted not being the one to help Emma bring him into this world. It would be an honor to be his father.

“I promise; I’m doing everything I can to make her happy.”

“I have to get to the station, Regina’s been lurking again and-“ She took notice of Henry again and stopped. “I have to go. I’ll see you later?” She asked, looking in August’s direction. He nodded and she leaned down to kiss him but stopped herself, remembering Henry. She reached for her wallet but August stopped her.

“No, it’s on me.”

“You guys can kiss, I don’t care,” Henry said and Emma laughed. She shook her head before kissing August’s cheek and then the top of Henry’s head.

“Bye, boys. Don’t get into trouble, please; I have enough of that to deal with.”

She turned to find Granny watching them proudly. August knew that look. Granny saw Emma as one of her own, just like she did with him. Emma couldn’t see it but she was growing up before their eyes. Gone was the orphan who ran at the first sign of trouble and in her place was a woman fighting like hell for those she loved. She was…well, she was becoming a mother and August couldn’t be prouder. He and Granny shared a wink before she turned to go back into the kitchen.

“What?” Emma began.

“The station,” August reminded. Emma shook her head and reached for her coat.

“Right, later.”

August watched her go fondly before turning his attention back to Henry.

“All right, Henry, what’ll it be? The French toast? Pancakes? Take your pick, breakfast is on me.”

“I need to go before my mom shows up,” Henry said grimly as he polished off his toast. “But thanks,” he got up with a frown and August felt his face fall.

“Well…another time, then, kiddo.”

“Yeah…just remember what I said. And don’t hurt her.”

“You love Emma a lot, don’t you?” August asked.

“Just like you,” Henry replied before heading for the back entrance. August watched him go sadly with just a bit of pride; that kid was smarter than anyone gave him credit for.


	85. I'm Working on It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma tells Mary Margaret the bad news about the DNA results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get VERY painful. I altered the dialogue just a smidge because my God, the writing on this show is terrible.

Emma stopped at the bakery on her way to the station. She’d rushed out of the diner so quickly she’d forgotten to grab breakfast for Mary Margaret. Plus, getting her friend’s favorite muffin wouldn’t erase the blow that was about to be dealt but maybe it would help soften it, just a smidge.

And just to keep herself from freaking out Emma called Whale to make an appointment.

See, no big deal, just a normal day. Life went on, they’d keep doing their daily things, and all the while Mary Margaret would be rotting away.

Emma cursed herself and stopped in the hallway. She chided herself and reminded herself that she needed to be calm and collected for Mary Margaret’s sake. She put on her best ‘it’ll be fine’ face and entered the station.

“Hey. Breakfast.”

Emma noted that Mary Margaret had changed since last night. Good, she must have taken another shower. 

“Thanks.”

“I know Mr. Gold doesn’t want us to talk,” he’d made that painfully clear on many occasions, one of which was last night when he’d walked in on the two of them plotting against Regina, “but I thought you should hear this from me. The test results came back on the heart and the DNA was a match for Kathryn. She’s dead. I’m sorry; for a lot of things. But, now that we have proof of the death, we have enough evidence to move forward with a case against you. It’s going to happen. You know I do believe you, right?”

Emma needed to remind her as often as she could. A trial meant their timeline was winding. They needed to find proof and fast and Emma couldn’t mess up. She could see Mary Margaret’s walls coming back up and she needed them to stay where they were. She’d worked so hard to get Mary Margaret’s trust back and to get her to work with her, she didn’t need that work being tossed out the moment they hit a major roadblock.

“Yeah.”

“All this evidence tells me one thing for certain; that you are being framed. Regina’s behind it.”

“Then why am I still in here? Why don’t you confront her? Let’s just get this over with so I can get out of here.”

“Because, belief is not proof.”

“But you just said-“

“If I don’t do this right, things will end up worse for you. Every time I’ve gone up against Regina, she’s seen it coming, and I’ve lost.”

Surely Mary Margaret hadn’t lost all reason.

“So, what makes this time any different?”

Emma tried not to let that sting.

“Because she doesn’t know I suspect anything,” she insisted, trying to sound hopeful.

“Why would she do this to me?”

That was the one thing they had yet to figure out, but Emma intended to.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. And I promise I won’t stop until I expose what she’s up to.”

“And how are you going to do that? This is her town.”

They’d already done this merry-go-round and Emma was sick of it.

“I’m working on it. I have faith in you. And now, I need you to have faith in me; just like you promised.” Emma reached through the bars and took hold of her friend’s hand. “Can you do that?”

Mary Margaret nodded. 

“Of course.”

Emma smiled and went to her office to grab a few things. She had things to do, things she’s been putting off but could not any longer. When she emerged she sensed things were off but she couldn’t quite place her finger on it. 

“Adam’s right outside, he’ll be your company for the day, then someone else will be here overnight.”

“You’re leaving?”

“I have some things to look into, don’t worry,” Emma assured as she left the station. 

First stop, Gold, then the hospital. She wanted those tests run by someone she trusted and while Whale wasn’t the most trustworthy person in this town, he was one of the few who she trusted to not give a shit about Regina’s sway over this town, therefore making him someone she wanted on their side.

Then she was going to find some way to get her friend out of this. 


	86. Emma's Compromise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma starts making compromises to her values left and right for Mary Margaret’s benefit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s just say that from here on out I am going to tweak any dialogue as I see fit to make things work. They rushed this whole murder plot and some of it just doesn’t work with the story since I gave it a realistic timeline.

She debated turning around a good five times on her way over but by the time the pawn shop came into view she was determined to follow through. There was only one person in this town capable of taking Regina on and winning and while she loathed his methods, the man got results. She was most likely already going to hell and if she was going, she was making damn sure Mary Margaret didn’t go down with her.

“Mr. Gold.

“What can I do for you, Sheriff Swan? Any developments in the case I should be aware of?”

“Yes. Regina set her up.”

Gold gave her a cold look and Emma was surprised he didn’t roll his eyes for dramatic effect.

“And this surprises you? Show me your evidence, and we’ll get this over with immediately.”

“Yeah, that’s the thing. There isn’t any. Anything that’s court-worthy. But I know it now.”

Gold gave her a smile that sent a shiver down her spine that left her feeling in need a scalding hot shower. Something about him had always given her the creeps, but now that she’d agreed to team up with him…she felt dirty. She hated what she was about to ask, but it was for Mary Margaret; she had no choice.

“Look who’s suddenly become a woman of faith. Why come here, Sheriff? To spin conspiracy theories?”

“I need help.”

“From me?”

She bit her tongue for a moment, feeling a sick pit in her stomach. She’d immediately regretted asking for his help the moment the words left her lips but it was too late now.

“I’ve lost every time I’ve gone up against Regina, _except_ when I became Sheriff; when you intervened.”

“As I recall, you don’t exactly approve of my methods.”

“I approve of your results. And this time, I have something more important than a job. I need to save my friend.”

“And you’re willing to go as far as it takes?”

She hesitated for a split second before making up her mind to go into this fully.

“Farther.”

“Now we’re talking. Fear not, Miss Swan. Regina may be powerful, but something tells me you’re more powerful than you know.”

As she left the shop feeling ready to be sick she highly doubted his words.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma wasn’t sure how she arrived in Whale’s office. One moment she’d been in Gold’s shop and the next she was in front of the man who had once been her friend’s lover, asking for his help. She recalled the empty, hollow feeling in her body as she’d numbly walked through town but that was it. In order to do this in a way that would free her friend she had to shut down emotionally, lest her guilt prevent her from doing whatever needed to be done.

“Look, there’s nothing I can do. I wish I could help, I do, Emma, but I’m not a medical examiner. Storybrooke may be lacking in doctors, but not that badly. I’m sorry.”

“Isn’t there’s anything? Any favors you can call in? Please, Whale, I know she paid someone off to fudge those results, I just need one person willing to go against her.”

He sighed and hesitated for a moment.

“I can make some calls to outside labs, but you’d need the get the judge to agree to running them all over again.”

“I will, just do what you can.”

Emma would take what she could get. If she could find a legal way to free Mary Margaret, it would be best.

“How…I mean…I know she’s innocent. I’ve known her for as long as I can remember, she’s not capable of murder.”

Emma looked him over and wondered if there was more to Whale than met the eye. Hell, maybe he even liked Mary Margaret. Then she recalled the way he preyed on Ruby and frowned.

“She’s holding up.

Emma stood and he stopped her.

“Can she have visitors?”

Emma opened her mouth to tell him ‘no’ but thought better of it. She didn’t think Whale was right or good enough for Mary Margaret but right now anyone was better than David.

“Yeah, you should go see her, she’s lonely sitting around all day and it’s not like I can take a break from the investigation to keep her company.”

She was going against her better judgment left and right these days.

His face lit up, to Emma’s surprise.

“I’ll do that tomorrow. Thank you, Emma.”

She nodded and turned to leave but he stopped her once more.

“Here, since you keep cancelling our appointment.”

He shoved a prescription into her palm and she went red for a moment.

“Oh, right, thanks.”

“I shouldn’t do this, but you know the drill. It’s the same one you mentioned being on before when we spoke on the phone. Make sure to use condoms for the first few weeks while your body re-adjusts to the hormones.”

“Right. Thanks, again. I should-“

Emma couldn’t get out of there fast enough. It was bad enough having to go to him for birth control because there was no one else in town but to keep forgetting about it was embarrassing. She made a mental note to go to the pharmacy tomorrow. She wasn’t going to risk another baby, not now, and she also wasn’t going to let another incident like last night happen again. The next time it was right, it was happening; if August could forgive her for teaming up with devil to take down Satan’s Mistress.


	87. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August comforts Emma as she regrets going to Gold for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The parts I’ve been dreading begin after this chapter, we may all need to hold one another soon. Also, I realized how long this story is and bless you all who have kept up with it. You deserve a reward and trust me, you’ll get it soon. I also know I haven’t been updating this as frequently as I should, but I’m an Indie Author and I need to spend more time working on my original stuff. I’m not really writing fanfiction anymore, but I do intend to get the rest of this story posted, it just may be slow goings. Just harass me to update in reviews or something every once in a while and it may get me more inspired to take a day out of the week to edit and post chapters. Anyway, here is some adorableness for you.

“You’ve been crying,” he slipped his arms around her middle from behind as she reached up to quickly wipe at her eyes, embarrassed that she’d been caught. He nuzzled her neck for a moment before giving her a squeeze. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, feeling silly.

“It’s nothing,” she whispered, unconvincingly.

“Baby, it’s okay, you can tell me if you need to talk about it.”

That was August for you; refusing to push. She sniffled and pulled away so she could glance up at him. She’d promised herself to really try with this one; he was worth it. She couldn’t have a relationship with him if she continued to hold everything in. It was hard for her but she finally managed to tell him how she went to Gold for help.

“I don’t trust him and the moment I agreed to work with him I felt so sick, August. Just…my stomach still feels like lead. I made a mistake, I can feel it,” she admitted, ashamed. She knew what Gold was capable of and the fact that she’d been willing to go along with whatever he had planned terrified her. She loved Henry enough to do anything for him and now it seemed she loved Mary Margaret just as much.

This was new for her and she wanted nothing more than to go running, but for once in her life there were people counting on her.

Tears fell from her eyes and she found herself clutching August’s shirt while she sobbed against his chest. August wrapped his arms around her securely, making her feel safe. She hated feeling this helpless but there was no judgment, he said nothing and let her cry; and in turn she allowed herself to get everything she’d been holding back for the past few weeks out of her system. She had so much on her plate it was a miracle she’d lasted this long without breaking.

Once the sobbing ceased, they lay in silence and he continued to hold her. As soon as he was sure she’d calmed down he lifted her chin and wiped away the few stray tears left that hadn’t dried.

“You probably think I’m horrible,” she muttered.

“No, you went to him for a reason. He’s the one person in this town who can take Regina on and win. You’re just doing what you feel you have to do. She’s backed you into a corner. You’re a fighter, Emma, there’s no shame in that.”

She felt tears stinging her eyes, threatening to spill once more. He was so goddamn supportive and genuine and she didn’t know how to handle that. She’d expected judgment, the way she was judging herself, but he continued to surprise her.

Emma threw her arms around his neck with enough force to knock him back onto the pillows. He chuckled into her hair.

“Tell me, princess, what is this about? Not that I’m complaining, but it’s new,” he whispered as he trailed the palm of his hand down her back, before toying at the hem of her nightie with his fingertips. A blush rose to her cheeks.

“I ran out of clean clothes,” she admitted, only slightly ashamed. It wasn’t as if she’d had time to do laundry with everything else going on, but she should have found time to at least go grab a few new, clean things from the shop in town.

“I need to do laundry, I can do yours as well,” he offered and she scowled.

“I can do my own laundry, Booth, I don’t need you to take care of me all the time,” she scolded. She knew he was worried, but he fussed over her too much. What was she going to do if she got used to this and then he left her?

August leaned up and pressed his lips to hers, catching her off-guard.

“Shut up, I’m washing your damn laundry,” he muttered before wrapping her in his arms and kissing her again. She huffed but smirked against his lips. His stubble tickled her chin and his hands…well, if she’d been cold a moment before due to her flimsy nightwear, she wasn’t anymore.

She tightened her hold around his neck and tugged him against her as she lay back onto the mattress. His kisses grew hotter, forcing her to break away from him. She took a moment to catch her breath before assaulting his lips with her own once more. He mumbled something about how adorable she was and she readied a retort that died on her tongue as his hand caressed her shoulder, taking down her strap as it went.

“August,” she sighed, noting how his name rang like a prayer in her ears. The thought that she was in for heartbreak crossed her mind once more but the look in his eyes silenced any doubts she had of his intentions.

“I’m the luckiest bastard alive.” He muttered as his eyes raked over her body. His gaze met hers and he pressed a hand to her cheek. “I don’t deserve you.”

“What makes you think that?”

He traced the pad of his thumb across her face before sighing.

“Oh, Emma, someday you’re going to know what a treasure you are.”

“Well, until then, maybe you should show me,” she taunted before leaning up to brush her mouth over his.

“Minx,” he huffed as he trailed his lips down her neck. She closed her eyes in contentment and enjoyed the scratch of his beard on her breasts as he continued to kiss his way down her body, taking the small scrap of fabric with him.

August lifted her arms and placed a small kiss on the inside of her wrist and she opened her eyes to find him admiring her tattoo. It was stupid; she’d done it on a whim once she was old enough to get one just to prove that she could. But the way he studied her made her wish she had a real story behind it, just to see the amused glint in his eyes while she told the story. He traced the small flower before pressing his lips to it once more, sending a thrill through her body.

Their eyes met once more and panic coursed through her, leaving her chest tight. There was so much love in his expression and she could almost read his thoughts. He felt it was time; he was going to say those words and once he did there would be no turning back.

“August-“

“Emma, I lo-“ She pressed her mouth to his quickly. Her pulse pounded in her ears and she could feel his disappointment, but she couldn’t do this. She wasn’t ready. She didn’t know if she’d ever be ready but she was trying. And while the moment was perfect, her fear was too great.

She’d said those words only once, when she’d been a foolish girl with no concept of love, and she’d only felt them once since. The thought of Graham reminded her that life was too short for her to keep allowing her fears to triumph but this was who she was. Letting anyone love her, needing another person, all of that scared the shit out of her.

Any other man, except maybe her dearly departed Graham, would have been furious, or at least hurt enough to fill the room with awkwardness, but not August. Aside from a small moment where he’d frozen in surprise, he pretended like nothing had happened.

Though, she could almost swear his kisses held more meaning, as if he was trying to show her how much he loved her. She felt tears prickle her eyes once more. She hated that she’d finally found someone she could love and that she couldn’t trust in it enough to really jump in and be with him. For all of her trying, she felt the sick sense that she’d be the one to hurt him in the end. All of this time she’d been so worried about her own heart she hadn’t stopped to think about what she was doing to him, leading him on. What if she was never ready? Was it really fair to him, keeping this up?

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, knowing she couldn’t ignore this. It wasn’t fair to him.

“Shh, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not, August. You shouldn’t have to wait around for someone who might never be-“ He pressed his lips to hers once more and drew her against his chest.

“I told you, I will wait for as long as I need to and I meant it. I know what I’m getting into, Ems, don’t worry about me.”

She blinked away tears.

“But, I do worry,” she admitted. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. She was such a mess, why did he even love her?

“I know, which is why I’m okay with taking this as slow as you need to. You’ll get there, someday. Who knows, maybe third time will be the charm?”

She snorted, being reminded that this wasn’t the first time she’d stopped him from confessing his feelings. She closed her eyes with a sigh and hoped he was right about her being ready eventually. August nuzzled the top of her head and she wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m scared,” she whispered after a moment. “At first I thought…I don’t know, I thought if I gave you what every other guy wants, you’d just leave me, but now…now I’m afraid I’m going to destroy you.”

“That’s never going to happen. I’m never leaving you, Emma, I l-“ he sighed.  You saved me. Never forget that.” He pressed a kiss into her hair and she held him tighter, resting her ear over his heart.

“The same goes for you, August. I…you, Henry, and Mary Margaret, hell, this town…I really am trying.”

“I know you are, Ems.” He carefully slid the straps of her nightie back onto her shoulders before pulling the covers over her body. “You should sleep; you only have one more day before Mary Margaret’s arraignment. We have a lot of work to do.”

The word ‘we’ warmed her heart and she regretted her temporary meltdown. As she lay there, safe in his embrace, the love she was too afraid to admit to burned a hole in her soul and she prayed to a deity that she didn’t believe in that once Mary Margaret was free she would feel free to fight her fears and tell him before he gave up on her.


	88. Fugitive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma finds Mary Margaret has fled the station.

Emma had started the day in a foul mood. Guilt still gnawed at her and her half-hour long shower had done nothing to rid her of the sluggish feeling her crying hangover had given her. She’d been unable to look August in the eye as she hurried out of his room and her desire to flee from him and the mess of her feelings outweighed her hesitation to meet up with Gold. So when she approached the station to find Adam on a bench instead of inside where he belonged, her temper boiled over.

“What the in hell are you doing outside? You’re supposed to be on duty!” She snapped. She could feel Gold approaching before she heard his cane on the pavement but she didn’t have time for him. Adam was the only deputy she trusted to keep an eye on Mary Margaret. The others were in Regina’s pocket. Adam was at least loyal to her because of his loyalty to Graham.

“I um,” he went red for a moment and began to babble and she snapped for him to get on with it already. “Dr. Whale came to see her and they wanted a moment alone, so I came out here…”

Emma ran a hand over her face in annoyance. While she knew Whale wouldn’t hurt Mary Margaret, she knew Regina could if Mary Margaret was left alone. She took a moment to mull it over before sighing. “Go home, deputy,” she muttered, wishing she’d grabbed a coffee on her way over.

“I’m sorry, I won’t-“

“You’ve been on duty all night, go home. Get some rest. Next time, stay with the prisoner, I don’t care if it’s Mary Margaret, do your job.”

“Sorry, Sheriff. I’ll just...” Emma shot him a glare. “See you later, then.”

“You’ve really whipped this team of imbeciles into shape in Sheriff Humbert’s absence, haven’t you?” Gold quipped and Emma resisted the urge to punch him. She was not here for smarmy comments about Graham, especially not when his absence was due to his death, a death that still pained her to this day. She knew the entire Sheriff’s office was incompetent but that was Regina’s doing, not theirs. She refused to listen to him imply otherwise.

She stormed into the station and spotted her kid and his damn book on one of the benches. “Henry. What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in school?” Was this kid ever in class? Regina was going to get a piece of her mind for this.

“I came to congratulate you.”

Emma lifted one brow in confusion before crossing her arms. “Congratulate me for what, kiddo?”

“Your genius plan,” he replied with a grin.

“And what plan’s that, Henry?”

Henry glanced up, noticing Gold for the first time. He looked back at Emma, refusing to respond. She sighed, really not in the mood.

“Right,” Gold replied with a shake of his head before going into the office. Once they were alone Emma shot Henry a stare that said ‘spill, kid’.

“Sorry. I thought Mr. Gold was in on it, now that he’s Miss Blanchard’s lawyer.”

“In on what?”

“The escape plan.”

Emma almost chuckled. “The what?”

“Sheriff, could you join me, please?” Gold called from the other room.

Emma sighed and helped Henry to his feet before leading him into the office. Her mouth nearly dropped open at the sight of Mary Margaret’s open, empty cell.

“She’s gone,” Gold announced and she rolled her eyes.

“No, shit?” She turned to face Henry angrily. She knew Whale wouldn’t do this and so help her, the things she would do if her kid was behind this. He was always getting himself into danger and it drove her crazy. “Henry, what did you do?”

“Nothing,” he insisted, hurt that she would even suggest t. “She was gone when I got here.”

Emma didn’t have time to ponder what could have happened because Gold was speaking again. “Her arraignment’s tomorrow. If she’s not there…”

“She’s a fugitive,” Emma finished. “Doesn’t matter if she’s convicted for Kathryn or not, she’s screwed. I have to go find her before someone notices she’s missing.” Emma ran a hand over her face, wondering how she was going to keep anyone from noticing she was gone in the meantime.

“Oh, you mean Regina?”

Emma met Gold’s eyes and she realized Regina could very easily be behind this and even if she wasn’t, she’d won.

“The arraignment’s at eight a.m. I’m sure she’ll be here bright and early to celebrate her victory.”

“Well, you have until eight a.m., then.”

Emma was getting really sick of his captain obvious attitude.

What about me? How can I help?”

Emma snorted. She wasn’t letting him anywhere near this. He was a kid, his job was to go to school and to be happy, not worry about shit like this.

“Go home.”

“Emma, if she leaves Storybrooke-“

“Not now, Henry!” She snapped. “Come on,” she said, ushering him out.

“Miss Swan, I know time is of the essence, but if Miss Blanchard doesn’t return, her future’s in jeopardy. And if you’re caught helping her, so is yours.”

As if she gave two shits about a job no one respected her for. She only cared about three things and her job or reputation weren’t on the list.

“I don’t care. I’d rather lose my job than my friend.”


	89. Fog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search for Mary Margaret is on until Emma gets sidetracked by a near accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [long sigh before whispering] Hat Trick. Everything with Jefferson is pretty triggering, period. If you don’t get that, it’s fine, but a lot of people were a bit triggered by the episode and I don’t shy away from any of that, which is why all of the content for this episode was hard for me to write and edit and get up. It’s nothing too bad, but Emma’s fear is real so anyone who might be triggered by that should know that going in.

August ran his handkerchief over his brow before tossing it aside and leaning over the small workbench to inspect the hinge. After the knife incident, he was determined to keep Emma safe. He wasn’t sure if a lock that wouldn’t open to one of Regina’s many skeleton keys would do the trick, but it was a start.

He reached for the drink Granny had brought down to him when she’d poked her head in to check on him. She’d allowed him the use of the workshop in the basement when he’d told her why he needed it. With a town filled with people owned by Regina and Gold, Granny was always willing to go against them. So far it hadn’t gotten her harmed, but he still worried about her. His worry didn’t change the fact that he was grateful for her help, however.

“All right, there we go,” he whispered as he attempted to lock it into place. His fingers slipped and he cursed, wishing he had someone with daintier fingers to help him build this. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he wiped the grease from his hands before reaching for it, knowing it would be Emma on the other line.

“Gorgeous,” he answered.

“Hey, I know we were supposed to…” the line cut out for a moment and he could hear the hum of her engine. He furrowed his brow. Emma never called him while she was driving, what was she up to? “I can’t make it, I’m swamped.”

He knew she was still embarrassed about last night but she wouldn’t cancel on him without good reason but something wasn’t sitting right with him. He could hear her fumbling to keep the phone between her shoulder and ear and the tone in her voice…

“What’s wrong, Ems?”

“Nothing, I’m just…I need time to research a few places for evidence is all.”

August glanced out the small window and realized it was dark out.

“Emma, you don’t have to lie to me.”

“I’m not-“

“Hey, I’m here to help you. What’s wrong?”

“She’s gone, August!”

His blood ran cold as he realized that could mean a million different things. “What?” He croaked, wondering how far Regina would go to finally take out Snow White.

“Mary Margaret is gone! I got to the station this morning and she was gone, cell open, just gone! I’ve been looking for her everywhere, I even locked up the station and gave everyone the day off because no one can know and I just…I can’t find her anywhere!”

He heard the panic in her voice and his own matched it. He grabbed his jacket and threw it on before snatching his keys off of the table.

“Go down to the toll bridge in an hour. I’m going to go look through the bike paths on my motorcycle and then we’ll meet up and look together. If we need to, we can even get Ruby’s help.”

“No! No one can know, when we find her-“

“We can trust her, Emma.”

“No, no one can know.”

He reached the top of the stairs and sighed in frustration. “Fine, where was the last place you searched?”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma hung up the phone in relief, knowing she should have called him sooner. She was so distracted by her phone she almost didn’t see the figure appear through the fog. She jerked the wheel, barely avoiding hitting what appeared to be a man and slammed on her brakes. She took a moment to mentally flip out before jumping out of the car.

She was so stupid. Sure, the roads near the woods were mostly deserted, especially at night, but in this weather it was irresponsible to be on her cell phone, but she’d been desperate. She looked around for the man and noticed him down an incline. She rushed and helped him to his feet.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay? I didn’t see you there.”

He brushed her off so he could inspect his person. “Uh, I think so.”

Emma looked him over, as if she could detect any broken bones. “Are you sure?”

“I’m fine. I’m not used to sharing the road with cars so late,” he teased. “You’re the Sheriff, aren’t you?”

She chuckled. “Yeah.” And she was doing such a bang-up job.

“What brings you out here in the middle of the night?”

Emma shifted uncomfortably. “Oh, nothing to worry about; I’m just looking for a lost dog,” she lied.

“Well, I hope you find it,” he replied with a smirk.

“Thank you.”

The man tried to walk off but Emma saw him limping and guilt settled in her gut. “Oh, you are hurt.”

“No, I just twisted my ankle, I think. I live just a mile down the road. I’ll make it okay.”

He was insane. “No, let me drive you. I insist.” She led him towards the car and opened the door.

He held his hand out and she took it. “Thank you. I’m Jefferson.”

“Emma,” she said as she helped him in and then got into her own side. She glanced over and took in his appearance for the first time. Attractive, around her age, and well dressed. Why he was out here at night was beyond her reasoning. He gave her instructions and after a few minutes they pulled up to a very large house sitting atop a hill. Emma resisted the urge to whistle as she got out of the car. This place was nicer than Gold’s.

“Wow,” she said, a little impressed. “This is your house? It looks more like a hotel. You must have a huge family.”

“Nope. It’s just me.”

She side-eyed him, even more confused but the sight of him struggling to climb his way to the door rid her of any suspicions she might have. “Here, wait,” she said before taking hold of his arm and helping him.

“Thank you,” he whispered as he reached for his keys.

“No problem,” she said as she helped him inside. She was going to make sure she didn’t have a serious injury on her hands and then head out. “I should get going,” she said once he was settled inside safely. He seemed to be getting around better on solid flooring and now that they were in good lighting, he really didn’t look all that hurt.

“Oh, would you mind waiting just a moment?”

Emma opened her mouth to protest but he’d disappeared down a long hallway and she sighed. What would five minutes really do? She glanced around the large sitting room and inspected it. She heard footsteps and turned to find him limping towards her with a tea tray. Oh, great, she’d nearly killed him and he was kind enough to serve her tea. She felt even worse.

“Here we go. I thought you might want to warm up for your search. It’s cold out there.”

“That is kind of you, but I think I should get back to it.”

“I know, that’s why I brought this.” He held up a small roll. “I’m a bit of an amateur cartographer; mapping the area is a hobby. Maybe this will help you track down your dog.” He unrolled the map on the table and she examined it in awe.

“Wow.” She took a sip of her tea, impressed.

“What’s his name?”

She almost asked ‘who’ and then remembered she was supposed to be searching for a ‘lost dog’. “Spot.”

“Cute.”

She smirked and took another sip as she looked over the map, noticing places in the woods she never even knew had existed. She could really use a…she blinked, forgetting where she was for a moment before seeing the map and shaking herself out of it.

“It looks like Route Six runs the boundary of the forest, so…” She cleared her throat, feeling warm. “So, if I just follow that, I should…” Spots blocked her vision as her head began to swim. She fought it off; she didn’t have time for this. “Be able to…”

“Is something wrong,” Jefferson asked but there was something off about his voice. It wasn’t caring, it was more…

Emma shook her head. She’d skipped meals today, too preoccupied with her best friend, but…She cleared her throat. “I’m just, uh… “ She stumbled and dropped her cup. It shattered at her feet as she caught her hand on the table. “Feeling a little…” Her hand slipped and she fell to the floor. Jefferson caught her before she could hit it and helped her to the couch.

“Oh. Let me help you.” That voice, he was so dejected and it occurred to her he was dragging her, not helping her.

“Dizzy,” she muttered as she blinked, trying to correct her blurry vision.

“Let’s just lie you down here,” he said as he laid her on the couch. She fumbled, wanting to get out but her entire body was heavy, as if anchored. “There you go. Let me get you some air.”

“Your limp…” she began, noticing it was gone.

“Oh, that,” he smirked for a moment before shrugging. “I guess you caught me.”

Panic settled in as she realized she’d been lured here and drugged, like some stupid girl who didn’t know any better. And that was her problem, wasn’t it? No matter how much she ages, she never learned from her mistakes.

“Who are you?” She hissed as her fingers began to go numb. She blinked and tried to fight the drug, to keep herself conscious, but soon her thoughts were replaced by darkness.


	90. Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma comes to and finds herself in a terrifying situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, everything I said in the last chapter. If you were kidnapped, drugged, bound, and held hostage, you’d be pretty terrified, and Emma and Mary Margaret are understandably going to be. We also get a brief Mary Margaret point of view, because we need it. I’m also trying to update a lot to make up for the lack of them, so expect another few chapters in a day or so.

Tears had long ago stained her cheeks and the terror she’d initially felt had been replaced with dread. She tried not to run through a list of things that could happen because what did it matter? The fact was there was no situation in which a man assaulted you, kidnaped you, and kept you bound as his hostage that ended well. She’d accepted that her death could very well be the best scenario that came from this situation and it was now a waiting game.

She’d brought this fate upon herself. Whatever happened was her fault. She’d been foolish enough to break out of the safety of her cell and then to get lost in the woods.

Yes, Mary Margaret had accepted that she was soon to pay for her foolish mistake but the knowledge that Emma would also pay for it? That birthed a new round of panic in her chest.

She could hear her, right outside this room. She called for her, fighting against her restraints and screaming, but the gag made sure her words came out as nothing more than a muffled, incoherent noise. She couldn’t even knock the chair around enough to make any noise. She was useless.

A fresh wave of tears fell from her eyes.

She’d been so angry at Emma because she’d convinced herself that she would fail her and in the end she’d been the one to fail Emma. Whatever happened was her fault. She’d resigned herself to her fate but she couldn’t let Emma meet the same one. She fought harder, trying to find some way out of her restraints or to scoot towards the door and alert Emma of her presence. She could hear a conversation; Emma still had a chance to get out of this.

Mary Margaret was no longer giving up without one hell of a fight.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma’s surroundings swam in her vision and it took her a moment to realize she’d come to. She tried to sit up but felt nothing but the jarring burn of ropes binding her wrists together behind her back. A small cry escaped her lips and she took notice of the gag in her mouth.

She was freezing and she glanced down to find her jacket missing. Bile rose to her throat. She forced her eyes shut and fought off the painful memories her fear triggered. Now was not the time to dwell on a possible sexual assault, not when she could very well choke on her vomit. She fought it down and took notice of her surroundings.

Jefferson was gone. Good, she could try to make an escape. Her feet were also bound but she could do this. She looked around for something, anything that she could use to cut herself out. She was glad it was duct tape, ropes would have been harder. Her eyes fell on her broken tea cup and she saw a way to freedom.

She moved the tie in her mouth and found she had more room than she’d first thought. She turned her head and bit into a pillow before throwing it down. She quickly forced her body up and used her feet to crush the remainder of the cup. The pillow kept the noise to a minimum as she shimmied to the floor and found a large enough shard of the glass to cut through the binds. She struggled for a moment but miraculously managed it.

Tears pricked her eyes and she silently swore fealty to whatever god existed for helping her get out of this mess.

She ripped the tape off of her ankles and tore off the fabric wrapped around her mouth. She shuddered; trying to force any lingering hint of him off of anywhere he’d touched her. She rushed to the windows but they wouldn’t budge. She cursed and took notice of a telescope. She swallowed; dread filling her as she approached it. She took one look and stumbled back while covering her mouth.

The blinds had been drawn but on any other day he would have been able to see right into the sheriff’s station. How long had he been watching her? Waiting? Fear threatened her weak stomach once more but she had no time for this. She had to get the fuck out of here before he came back. She’d spent plenty of time in her life as a victim and there was no way in hell she was ever living through that again.

As if reading her thoughts something alerted her to his presence across the hall. She slowly crept to the doorway and glanced out to find him in the next room, inspecting a large pair of scissors.

Emma withdrew for a moment, not even wanting to know what he had planned for those. For all she knew, he could have been the one who had abducted Kathryn. She’d get a warrant and then…

The pit of her stomach bottomed out.

She couldn’t…

Could she really choose Mary Margaret knowing that doing so could be costing a woman her life?

_She’s probably already dead_ , she told herself.

_But that doesn’t mean we can abandon her_ , she reminded herself.

Emma knew that if it was any other situation, she could sell her soul to keep Mary Margaret safe, but not this time. She was going to find a way, with Gold’s help, to save Kathryn, if she was indeed being held here against her will. And if she wasn’t, then at least her conscious would be clear.

With a deep breath Emma gathered her courage and slowly edged her way out of the room and into the hallway, being careful to stay out of sight. She carefully made her way down the narrow hall but the damn old floorboards betrayed her. A loud creak filled the air, sending her into a panic. She rushed into the first room she could find and locked herself inside. She barely had a moment to gather her bearings before she came face-to-face with her roommate, tied to a chair.

Emma let out a small cry before rushing to her and pulling down her gag. She went for the binds and cursed; ropes. She wished she had something to cut them with, trying to undo knots was going to be a pain in the ass and time-consuming.

“What in the fuck is going on?”

“Emma, thank God,” Mary Margaret cried. “You’re alive.”

“What are you doing here?” It occurred to Emma that if he’d been watching the station he could have witnessed Mary Margaret’s escape and abducted her as a means to get to Emma. Or maybe he wanted them both, Emma wasn’t sure how the mind of a psychopath worked and she didn’t care to.

“I was in the woods, trying to get away. Then, this man appeared out of nowhere and grabbed me. Why are you here? You shouldn’t be here, it’s not safe!”

“I’ve been trying to find you. You escaped, remember? How did you get out?”

“There was a key in my cell, under my pillow. Someone put it there.”

“Who?” Emma hissed as she undid the last knot.

“I don’t know. I’d like to know just as much as you.”

Emma suspected Regina, but now was not the time for that conversation. Emma helped her friend to her feet and they both crept towards the door. Emma help up a finger, wishing she’d thought to search for her gun holster and jacket before making her escape. She carefully opened the door to find the hall clear. She sighed in relief and motioned for Mary Margaret to follow her.

They crept toward the door as Jefferson emerged, armed with a gun; _her_ gun.

She almost groaned; she was the _worst_ cop ever.

“I see you found Spot.”

“I’ve already called for backup. They’ll be here any second.” That’s what she should have done, called for help. But she was so goddamned worried about keeping Mary Margaret out of jail she wasn’t thinking straight. Adam was loyal and Gold for all of his faults would be a great asset. Not to mention her own personal knight on shiny bike.

“You haven’t called anybody. For the same reason you didn’t tell me about her. You don’t want anybody to know you’re here, which means, nobody does.” She met Mary Margaret’s eyes and she silently apologized. If she’d had any idea she was here, Emma would have done something, anything to get them both out of here alive. “So, now tie her back up.”

Most criminals made the stupid mistake of pressing the gun against their hostage, leaving said hostage with an opportunity to disarm them but Jefferson wasn’t stupid. He kept the gun pointed firmly at Mary Margaret and Emma did as she was told, tying Mary Margaret to the chair.

Mary Margaret met her eyes and Emma could see her own terror mirrored in her eyes. “Emma…”

“Shh, it’s going to be okay,” she whispered. They both knew it was a lie, but Emma didn’t know what else to say. She placed the gag back between Mary Margaret’s lips and a cold fury filled her. She rose and turned to Jefferson, knowing if she got her gun back a bullet was going right between his legs.

“Your telescope…you’ve been watching me. Why?” If she was going to go down, she was going down with one hell of a fight.

“I need you to do something.”


	91. August's Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrecked with worry, August turns his search towards finding Emma when he realizes she’s also missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when they cut the scenes with August searching for Emma and finding her? Yeah, me too and I’m still angry.

August parked in front of the diner and ripped his helmet off, needing the air. He took a deep breath, literally sick with worry. He’d searched everywhere he could think, knowing if Mary Margaret were hurt or in danger, she’d recognize his bike. It was too dark out for him to search for her properly, but he’d done his best. He’d convinced himself they could try in the morning, she’d most likely ran out of fear after all, but when he arrived at the bridge with no signs of Emma, the worry had settled into the pit of his stomach..

He’d waited five minutes before calling her, in case she’d found something and that was why she was late. Her phone rang and went to voicemail.

“Emma, I’m waiting and I’m worried. Call me.”

He waited thirty seconds before calling her again. This time it went straight to voicemail. He waited another minute, in case she’d been trying to call him back, before calling again. Voicemail.

“What the fuck,” he muttered, instinctively feeling something was off. Emma wouldn’t switch her phone off, not knowing he was waiting for her. Maybe it had died? But that didn’t sit right with him.

He waited twenty more minutes before hopping back on his diner and coming back here. If something happened, she’d come here. He knew her well enough to know she’d come somewhere public and where she knew he’d wind up after she failed to show up.

He rested his forehead on his handlebar, trying to tell himself that everything was fine. Maybe she’d found Mary Margaret and was trying to coax her back.

“Boy, what in the hell is wrong with you?”

He lifted his head slowly to find Granny with her hand on her hip watching him with a mix of worry and annoyance.

“The woman I love is missing,” he blurted out before he could stop himself. He’d been holding in the words for what felt like forever. Every time he thought she was ready to hear them he was wrong. He wanted the world to know how he felt and his failed attempt had hung heavy on his mind all day. Now, he was worried about her and Granny was the one person he trusted to know she was missing.

“I’m sure Emma is fine.”

“No, you don’t understand, it’s been hours, she was supposed to meet me so we could look for-“ he stopped himself. While he trusted Granny, he was afraid he’d said too much. Who knew what spies Regina had in this town? He didn’t want someone else he loved in danger because of him. “More evidence,” he finally finished. He was sure Granny already suspected he’d been helping Emma; there was no harm in confirming that fact.

Granny watched him for a moment before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“I understand it’s hard being with a person whose job is dangerous. Emma is a smart girl, I’m sure she’s fine. Why don’t you come in and get something to eat. She’ll come find you when she’s ready.”

August appreciated her words but he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep anything down until he knew she was safe. “Thanks, Mrs. Lucas, but I think I’m going to check the station again, make sure she isn’t holed away in there.”

“All right, boy, but if I don’t see you back here for a real dinner, you’re getting it,” she told him sternly. He smiled and she returned to the diner, shaking her head.

August put his helmet back on and revved up his bike. There were a few deserted roads near the outer end of the forest. He’d go up and down every single one of them until he found a sign of her, the bug, or Mary Margaret. He wasn’t going to abandon her, not this time.

An hour later, just when he was about to give up and call for an actual search, Emma’s anger be damned, he caught a break. Something yellow flashed in his peripheral and he pulled over to the side of the road. He gazed up at a large house and spotted her bug in the driveway. It looked as though someone had attempted to hide it from view but they’d failed.

August carefully slipped onto the property, not wanting to be seen, and began to scope the place out. If Emma was here, he’d find her.


	92. Hat Trick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jefferson reveals his intentions towards Emma.

Jefferson followed Emma, with his gun still pointed at the back of her head. She wished he’d come closer, try to shove her along, anything that would give her an advantage. He was batshit crazy, but she knew she could take him. However, she also didn’t want to get shot in the process, she was sure taking a bullet would be a bitch.

“In there, now,” he commanded. She resisted the urge to attack him, reminding herself that she had a friend to save and two boys to get back to. She entered a blinding white room lined with top hats. They were all the same, like some demented hat shop. She glanced around in trepidation; he was madman.

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but if you hurt my friend, I swear I’ll make you regret it.” Get Mary Margaret out alive, that was what she had to focus on. Not her anger or her fear, just getting out.

“Hurt her? I’m saving her life.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Don’t play stupid. We both know what happens when people try to leave Storybrooke.”

Emma turned and ignored the pounding in her chest. “What are you talking about?”

“The curse.”

Her blood ran cold. “What curse?” She whispered. She knew, of course she knew, but she needed to hear him say it.

“The one keeping us all trapped. All except you.”

He was crazy. Sure, she wasn’t entirely sure what had happened while she’d been drugged or what he’d done to Mary Margaret or possibly Kathryn, but now, looking into his eyes, she could see a man barely holding on to his sanity. “Have you been reading Henry’s book,” she asked in an even tone, not wanting to set him off.

“Henry? You mean the Queen’s father?”

“Henry, the mayor’s adopted kid.”

“Oh, of course. _Your_ Henry; and his book of stories.” She closed her eyes for a brief moment. He knew about Henry. Of course he did. Now she had two missions: get out of here alive and keep Henry safe. “The ones that you choose to ignore. Maybe, if you knew what I know, you wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss them as just stories.”

“Why have you been spying on me,” she asked quietly, wondering how long he’d been obsessing over her, whether or not he’d been near her kid.

“Because for the last twenty-eight years I’ve been stuck in this house. Day after day, always the same. Until one night, you, in your little yellow bug, roll into town, and the clock ticks, and things start to change. You see, I know what you refuse to acknowledge, Emma. You’re special. You brought something precious to Storybrooke; magic.”

She’d kept her cool, listened to him speak, watched as he spoke with such conviction, someone less sound of mind might have been on board with his tale. But not Emma, she could see him for what he was; a sick man who needed help. “You’re insane.”

“Because I speak the truth?”

“Because you’re talking about magic.”

“I’m talking about what I’ve seen. Perhaps, you’re the one that’s mad.”

“How do figure that?”

“What’s crazier than seeing and not believing? Because that’s exactly what you’ve been doing since you got to our little hamlet.” Sure, there had been strange things, but nothing close to _magic_. Henry’s fantasy of a curse was just that; a fantasy. Something a neglected boy had dreamed up to have an excuse to find a birth mother who he’d hoped would steal him away from this life. She loved Henry more than anything but he was just a child with a book and a dream; there was nothing she had seen that would make her believe otherwise. “Open your eyes. Look around. Wake up. Isn’t it about time?”

Why was he so obsessed with believing Henry’s fairytale? “What do you want?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but if he kept going on about magic, she was going to go for that gun.

“I want you to get it to work.”

He pressed onto her shoulder and shoved her down. She closed her eyes in horror, this was it, and he was going to force her to…no. She refused to be violated in any way. She’d die before she let that happen. Emma prepared a punch but when she opened her eyes he was on the other side of the table. She blinked, confused. She’d been convinced…

She took note of the materials on the table and glanced up to find him watching her impatiently.

“You want me to get what to work?” If the ‘it’ wasn’t his dick, then she was fucking clueless. She had no idea what in the hell was going on in that deranged mind.

“You’re the only one that can do this. You’re going to get it to work.”

“Get what to work?”  
He pointed to the hat on the table. “Make one like that.”

“You want me to make a hat,” she asked slowly before surveying the room once more. “You don’t have enough?”

“Well, none of them work, do they? Or else you wouldn’t be here. Now, make a hat, and get it to work.”

“I don’t-“

“You have magic. You can do it.”

She stared at him and slowly, the pieces came together. He was insane. And he believed in Henry’s book, which meant he believed he was a fairytale character stuck in this town. “The hats, the tea, your psychotic behavior,” okay maybe don’t tell the psychopath he’s a psychopath. “You think you’re the Mad Hatter?”

“My name’s Jefferson.”

“Okay,” she was going to attempt to reason with him. As long as she could find a way to get that gun back, she’d be good. She could stab him with something, but he could still shoot her, so she had to play this cool. Appeal to his delusions. “You’ve clearly glommed onto my kid Henry’s thing. They’re just stories. The Mad Hatter is in Alice in Wonderland; a book. A book I actually read.” One of her favorites, ironically enough. She related with wanting to be able to escape to another world, most orphans did.

“Stories.” He laughed like the madman he was. “Stories? What’s a story? When you were in high school, did you learn about the Civil War?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“How? Did you read about it, perchance, in a book? How is that any less real than any other book?”

“History books are based on history,” she replied evenly.

“And storybooks are based on what? Imagination? Where does that come from? It has to come from somewhere. You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants some magical solution for their problem, and everyone refuses to believe in magic.” Everyone but Emma Swan, she knew better. She’d stopped believing in magic and fairytales decades ago. “Now, get it to work.”

“Here’s the thing, Jefferson. This is it. This is the real world.”

“A real world? How arrogant are you to think yours is the only one? There are infinite more. You have to open your mind. They touch one another, pressing up in a long line of lands. Each just as real as the last. All have their own rules. Some have magic, some don’t. And some need magic. Like this one. And that’s where you come in. You and your friend are not leaving here, until you make my hat. Until you get it to work.”

“And then what?”

“Then I go home.”

A knock from the front door echoed through the room and Emma used Jefferson’s surprise to reach for the scissors and make her move. He was quicker than she was, having no lingering side effects of whatever he’d roofied her with to deal with. They struggled and she attempted to cry out for help but he covered her mouth his hand as he violently shoved her back into the chair.

“Make another move, Miss Swan, and I will kill her.”

“That’s Sheriff Swan,” Emma spat back defiantly when he removed her hand.

“One word and you’re both dead, got it?” He said as he tied her to the chair with a roll of duct tape. Another knock came and she waited until he left the room to attempt to escape her chair. She’d hop in it to the doorway to be seen, if the visitor was someone with any sense of honor, she wouldn’t have to worry about his threat.

She struggled against the chair and felt gravity take over as she fell forward onto the floor, with the weight of the chair pressing into her back. She cursed as she heard his footsteps approach.


	93. Emma's Trick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August sizes up Jefferson as Emma continues to try to make an escape.

August had no real plan. Like much of his life, he was winging it. For all he knew, Emma had tracked Mary Margaret here, but he suspected that wasn’t the case. Something was wrong and he was going to get Emma out of here.

“Can I help you?”

August narrowed his eyes and recognized the man as the owner of the Rabbit Hole.

“Yeah, I’m looking for my girlfriend. She’s the sheriff and she was in this area searching for a lost dog,” August said, telling the first lie that came to his mind. “Someone said they spotted her car around here earlier and I was wondering if you’d seen her?” He knew better than to admit he’d seen the car.

The man smirked in a way that didn’t sit right with August.

“Ah, yes, I did see the Sheriff, but it was hours ago. I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

August tried to look into the house but the man blocked the door well. He had three options: knock the guy out in the hopes Emma was here and risk jail time if she wasn’t, which seemed like his best option, risk his life and hers by attacking this man who could have an accomplice inside, or he could get a weapon to get her out of here safely. He chose the option that would ensure she would get out safely. He knew where she kept her spare gun.

“Well, if you see her, will you call the sheriff’s station, there’s a whole team out looking for her. We’d appreciate it.”

The man’s eyes darkened and August knew she was here without any doubts.

“Of course.”

August retreated and the man stood in the doorway, watching him leave the property. August climbed onto his bike and waited a minute before looking back at the house. He spotted a figure in the window, holding something that looked like a tarp. What in the hell had Emma gotten herself into? August rushed off, knowing he just needed to appear to have left. He parked half a mile down the road before running back to the house. When he arrived the bug was covered and he carefully maneuvered underneath it to break into the bug and search for the glock she kept taped underneath her seat.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Emma, Emma, we had an agreement,” Jefferson said, pacing while waving the gun. She held her breath, knowing he could snap at any moment.

“You said no talking and I didn’t, I just fell,” she said and he gave her a shake of his head.

“Oh, Emma…”

“I’ll do it, I’ll make the hat. But you need to tell me how,” she said quickly, knowing she could buy some time while she thought of another escape plan.

Jefferson smirked. “Finally.”

He took a seat at the opposite end of the table and began railing off instructions. Luckily, he’d already had piles of patterns ready to go, it was just a matter of sewing them all together. A loud noise emerged from outside and she quickly pricked her finger, making a show about not wanting to bleed on the hat to distract Jefferson.

Her pulse raced. She’d hoped for a moment that it was August at the door. She could have sworn it was his voice but she knew it could very well be a delusion but that had been the horn to her bug, she’d know it anywhere. Jefferson had disappeared to cover her bug while ranting about how she was going to make him hurt her with his antics.

August had found her. She didn’t know how, but he had. All she had to do was find a way out of the house and into the open and it would be three against one.

“There, it’s done,” she said, dropping the hat onto the table. Jefferson sat with his chin pressed to the table, staring at her in annoyance.

“Spin it.”

She gazed at him curiously before doing as she was told.

“NO! You’re doing it wrong! Think of home!”

“I can’t make it work. What you’re asking me is impossible!”

“No! It has to be. If it’s not, I’m never going home. I’ll be cursed to live in this house forever.”

“What is so cursed about your life? Look at this place. It’s beautiful. It doesn’t seem cursed to me.”

“It’s cursed because, like everyone else here, what I love has been ripped from me. Take a look.”

He gestured to a telescope, different from the one she’d seen earlier. She hesitantly stood and moved towards it. She glanced inside and saw a girl, a little older than Henry, eating dinner with her family. She slowly moved it to spy the yard while he spoke.

“Her name is Grace. Here, it’s Paige. But it’s Grace. My Grace. Do you have any idea what it’s like to watch her day in and day out, happy, with a new family? With a new father?”  
She glanced up. “You think she’s your daughter?” That distracted him long enough for her to take another look and she almost sighed in relief. There he was, her stupid, brave knight casing the house for a way in. She held back tears. She was going to get out of here, she just had to play along a little longer, catch him off guard and make a run for it.

“I don’t think; I _know_. I remember. She has no idea who I am or of our life together, where we come from. But I do. That’s _my_ curse.”

“To remember?” Of course, he believed they were all cursed to forget, but he remembered and he had to come up with a justification with it. This poor man needed an institution.

“What good is this house, these things, if I can’t share them with her?”

“If you really think she’s your daughter, why don’t you reach out to her? Why don’t you tell her?” She’d loved to have a reason to arrest him.

“And destroy her reality? I’m trapped by knowledge. How cruel do you think I am? You think I’d inflict that awareness on my daughter? It’s hard enough to live in a land where you don’t belong. But knowing it, holding conflicting realities in your head…” He pressed his gun hand to his temple as he shook his head. “It will drive you mad.”

“That’s why you want me to make the hat work, isn’t it? You just want to take Grace home; to your world.”

“It’s the one world where we can be together; where she’ll remember who I am.”

“I know what it’s like to be separated from your kid,” she said, knowing that on this she could relate to him, to make him think she was on his side.

“Yeah, you do, don’t you?”

“It can make you feel like you’re losing your mind.”

“I’m not losing my mind. I’m not crazy. This is real.”

“Maybe,” she mustered up what little image of a fantasy she could. Parents, Henry, and August; all of them together as a family. Even with her level of cynicism she still longed for the life she’d never had. Henry’s fantasy was a nice escape, something to long for. She embraced his delusion, for a moment, hoping it would convince Jefferson. “Maybe, it is.”

“You believe?”

“If what you say is true, that woman in the other room is my mother. And I want to believe that more than anything in the world. So, maybe you’re right. Maybe, I need to open myself up more. Maybe, if I want magic, I have to start believing.”

“So, you’re going to help me? You can get it to work?”

Emma gave him a smile that she hoped read as genuine. “I can try.”

He turned his back to her and she grabbed the telescope and swung as hard as she could. This was the opportunity she’d been waiting for. She hit him hard in the side of the head, rendering him unconscious. She cried out, shaking with fear. She’d barely kept it together all of this time and she was going to get them out of here.

“You crazy son-of-a-bitch,” she muttered before grabbing her gun out of his hands. She rushed out of the room. She faltered for a moment, forgetting which door led to Mary Margaret. She tried two before she found the right one. She ungagged her and went for the ropes.

“Everything’s alright, I’m going to get you out of here. You’re going to be okay. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Thank God,” Mary Margaret muttered as Emma reached for the roped binding her feet. “Emma! Look out!”

Emma turned but before she could ponder how in the hell he’d come to so fast Jefferson came at her full force, tackling her into Mary Margaret, sending all three of them flying into the floor. Emma groaned and realized she’d lost her gun. She went for it just as Jefferson did and she threw a punch. There was no way in hell she was letting him get his hands on it again. He attacked back and she shoved him away from her. She scrambled for the gun but he knocked her head into the floor.

“Mary Margaret,” she cried out, needing her roommate to get herself out of those binds and help her. Now was the time for the damsels in distress to save themselves.

“I’m trying,” she called.

Emma kicked at Jefferson as she reached her gun. He shoved her down and they began to wrestle. Emma tried her hardest but she was pretty damn sure she had a concussion. He wrangled the gun out of her hands and stood, pointing it between her eyes.

Her eyes went to an ugly scar around his neck that had been hidden by his scarf. She wished she’d kept hold of it and strangled him with it.

“Off with his head,” he chuckled as he cocked the gun.

“Run, Mary Margaret,” she called, knowing he couldn’t shoot them both at the same time.

“I don’t think so.” Mary Margaret came out of nowhere, swinging a croquet mallet right at his chest. The gun fell from his hands and fired, hitting the wall. Using the temporary distraction as leverage, Mary Margaret kicked him away and he fell back and into the window. Emma winced as he fell through.

“Are you okay?” Mary Margaret asked as Emma threw her arms around her.

“Yeah…August!” She said, realizing he was outside. She rushed to the window and looked outside. “No…that’s not possible.” Their eyes met before glancing back down. Where his body should have been sat only the hat and Jefferson was nowhere to be seen.


	94. You're My Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While a befuddled Emma searches for Jefferson, August comes to the rescue too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in another deleted scene August took Mary Margaret back to the station, so here we are.

Emma shoved her gun into the back of her pants and grabbed their things from a chair in the hall. Mary Margaret followed and they rushed outside. She looked around, befuddled. How in the hell had he made that fall and been uninjured enough to get up and escape?

“There’s no sign of him anywhere.” Or of August. Had he somehow found a way in? Was he the reason Jefferson was gone? Or maybe he’d caught him trying to escape.

“Who was he?”

“A very lonely man,” she replied with a sigh. “By the way, have you been taking kickboxing and not telling me about it?”

“I have no idea where that came from.”

They turned the corner and Emma smiled at the sight of her bug.

“Emma, look.”

“Yeah, I see it.” She pulled back the tarp to find the keys in the ignition. She slid in and removed them before hopping out of the car with a smile.

“So, Sheriff, I guess you’ll be taking me back now.”

Emma shook her head and tossed the keys at Mary Margaret. “Here. Go.” August was around here somewhere, she could spot his bike. She had a safe way home.

“You want me to run?” Mary Margaret asked, shocked.

“No, but it’s your choice. Just know something; running isn’t easy. I’ve done my share of it. And once you go there’s no stopping.”

“Emma, everyone thinks I killed Kathryn.”

“Mary Margaret, you have to believe me. You have to trust me. I know it seems impossible, but I can get you out of this.” Emma would search the house but she suspected she wouldn’t find Kathryn. This kidnapping was some serial killer or rapist looking for his next victim. Jefferson was a lunatic with a fantasy that he’d reeled Emma into. She wasn’t sure they’d ever find Kathryn, but she knew Mary Margaret was innocent and without being able to prove that she had committed the crime without a reasonable doubt, Regina and Spencer didn’t have a case. She’d find a way to get the case tried in the county, as it should be, there would be no bought and paid for jury. They had survived the night together, they could survive this.

“Why is it so important to you what happens to me?”

How could she even ask such a thing?

“Because, when Regina framed me, you bailed me out. And when I asked you why, you said you trusted me. And then, when I wanted to leave Storybrooke because I thought it was best for Henry, you told me I needed to stay because that was the best for him. And I realized, all my life, I have been alone; walls up. Nobody’s ever been there for me; except for you and August. And I can’t lose that. I cannot lose my family.”

“Family?”

Emma smiled. “Friends. Whatever. You know what I mean. Wouldn’t you rather face this together than alone?”

Mary Margaret pressed the keys into Emma’s hands.

“Together, then.”

With a smirk Emma pocketed the keys and reached for her phone.

“Emma!”

She turned to find August rushing toward her. She went to him and threw her arms around his neck.

“You’re safe,” he whispered as he held her so tightly she lost the ability to breath for a moment. “I was so worried, I knew I couldn’t just go in guns blazing, but every moment I wasted trying to get to you it felt like I was slowly losing you.” There were tears in his voice and she squeezed him.

“It’s okay, the important thing is you found me. Most men wouldn’t have even noticed I was missing.”

A string of curses left his lips and she pulled away from him to cup his cheek.

“It’s okay, we’re fine-“

“It is not okay,” he insisted as he took her face in her hands. He searched her face and his entire body trembled. “Don’t you ever do that to me again.” He placed a firm kiss on her lips before pulling away and taking notice of Mary Margaret. “What the hell happened?”

The town clock chimed in the distance.

“We don’t have time for that. We have to get her to her arraignment before Regina arrives.”

“I’m going to kill that son-of-a-bitch, where is he?”

“I don’t know, baby-hey.” Emma turned his cheek so his eyes were back on her. She could see the rage in his eyes but now was not the time.

“Stay here; in case he comes back, you have my spare gun, right?”

“Of course.”

“Good, I’m going to get her to the station and then I’ll be back and we’re going to search this place from top to bottom.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

August wanted to kill the man who’d abducted Emma. He’d never felt a rage like this in his life. After finding her gun he’d tried all of the doors and windows but they were locked. He’d debated breaking one but he knew the noise could send their captor into a rage so he’d attempted to climb up to find where he was keeping them but his damn leg had betrayed him. Were it not for the stupid thing he could have saved them.

He knew they were capable, but he still wanted to have gotten them out of their sooner. Emma was covered in bruises and he knew she’d fought like hell to get out of there. He hadn’t been able to protect her and it killed him.

The clock chimed once more and he knew his plans to make that bastard pay would have to wait.

“I’ll take her, my bike is faster, plus if we’re not in time, it’ll be me they find, not you.”

“August-“

“No, if she is going to beat this she needs you in office.” August leaned down and pressed his lips to hers once more, allowing them to linger. “Will you be okay to drive?”

“Yeah, I’ll stay here and-“

“No, it’s not worth it.”

“I’ll call for back-up; I have to make sure he didn’t take Kathryn.”

“August, we have to go,” Mary Margaret insisted.

August pressed her spare gun into her hand and kissed her. “Take this, in case you need both.” This was the time to tell her he loved her, but he didn’t. He didn’t want to force it on her, not after what she’d been through.

Emma tossed him the keys to the station and he handed Mary Margaret Emma’s helmet. He spared a final look towards the woman he loved before racing off to the station. Mary Margaret held onto him tightly and he tried not to think about the ordeal they’d been through. The sun, which had barely peaked over the sea when they’d left, was nearly out in full swing when they arrived. August parked in the back alley and rushed Mary Margaret inside.

“What time is the arraignment?”

“Eight.”

August looked at the clock, they still had five minutes. He sighed in relief and locked her back in her cell.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, if I’d have found you earlier…”

“Don’t, August, Emma was right, most men wouldn’t have even noticed she was missing, let along go searching, and hell, you found us.”

August gripped the bars for a moment before glancing up to meet her eyes.

“What did he do? How badly did he hurt you?”

“Not much…he attacked me in the woods and tied me up in the house. I think Emma got the worst-I mean, because they fought.” He knew he looked ready to go back and murder the man. The thought of anyone harming any woman, let alone Emma, drove him into a near rage. “Emma’s going to be fine.”

“We’ll see about that,” he muttered as he moved to the exit.

“August,” she called. He turned to find her watching him with a frown. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad she has you. If anything did happen…well, I know you’ll help her threw it.”

He nodded. “Good luck today,” he whispered before letting himself out.


	95. Curiosiy Killed the Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While waiting for Mary Margaret’s arraignment to begin, Emma pays Henry a visit. At Mary Margaret’s arraignment, Gold takes notice of August for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emma Swan is my precious, sunshine princess and it kills me how this show never gave her proper treatment. But it’s okay, that’s what fanfic is for. Also, I won’t say in which chapter, but the next round of updates will have the long-awaited consummation.

After performing a quick search of the basement and finding nothing, Emma left the mansion in the care of her deputies, instructing them to call her if they found anything suspicious. She knew in her gut they wouldn’t find anything and having them search might raise questions she wasn’t prepared to answer, but she had to know beyond a shadow of a doubt. After her ordeal, thoughts of what poor Kathryn could have endured wouldn’t leave her mind and she suspected it would haunt her for the rest of her life unless they found the truth. And with Regina behind this, they may never know.

Emma knew she couldn’t go back to the station, not until after the arraignment began. A court bailiff would be there to pick up Mary Margaret and she’d employed a deputy she trusted to be on duty right at eight. She drove to the center of town and parked her bug outside of her building before walking down the main street, needing to keep herself busy. She wasn’t ready to be at home, not yet, not alone, and without having her office to retreat too she soon found herself in front of the school.

A smile sigh escaped her lips as she realized the kid was her go-to. Giving him up was the big mistake of her life. She spotted him on his bench and she smiled. “Hey Henry, guess what? I found Mary Margaret.”

“How is she?”

“She’s okay. Well…other than being on trial for murder, she’s fine.”

She stopped speaking as a group of children walked past. “Hi, Henry,” a familiar girl said. Henry gave her a smile and a small wave as Emma realized the girl was Jefferson’s daughter-or rather, the girl he believed was his daughter.

“Who is that?”

“Her name is Paige. She goes to school with me.”

Emma furrowed her brows. “Henry, do you have your storybook with you? Can I see it?”

“Yeah,” he said as he pulled it out. “Why?”

Emma took the book and flipped through its pages. “I’m just curious about something,” she muttered before finding a story about the Mad Hatter. She stared down at the picture and a chill moved through her. The image looked hauntingly like Jefferson, but…

This was crazy.

“What? What is it?”

“Nothing,” she lied, still staring down at the pages. If she looked through this, how many similarities would she find to the people she knew?

“Emma? Emma?” Henry’s voice sounded in her ear as she waged an inner battle with herself. This was insane. She was just exhausted and mentally scarred. She wasn’t thinking straight. In the distance the school bell began to ring.

“I have to go,” Henry said, taking her arm, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Right. Can I hold onto this, kiddo?”

“Sure,” he replied with a shrug. Emma smiled and ruffled his hair before watching him descend into the school. She felt his absence in her chest and she closed her eyes, needing a moment to recover from the past twenty-four hours.

When she was sure she’d fall asleep if she spent another moment on the bench, she stood and walked towards the station, needing the exercise to keep herself awake. She skipped the diner and the coffee shop, deciding to settle for the crap coffee that Graham loved that was still stocked in the station. She’d never had the heart to change their brand, it was just another piece of him she wanted to keep around, like that jacket of his and his damn shoelace that she kept wrapped around her wrist when she missed him.

Henry was the love of her life, she knew that now, and August…well, maybe he was her soul mate, but Graham had been a great love in her life and she’d come to accept he would always be there, tucked away in a small corner of her heart and the beautiful thing about August was that it didn’t bother him.

“What are you doing here?”

Emma jumped, not having seen anyone in the hallway when she’d stormed into the station. August pushed away from the dimly lit wall he’d been leaning against and she scowled. “Don’t do that to me, not after…”

His face fell for a moment before he took her hand. “You should be at home, resting.”

“August, you know as well as I do that isn’t going to happen. I can’t be home, not after what happened. I need to work even harder-“

“Emma, this is insane, you’re not helping anyone if you’re exhausting-“

“I hate to interrupt your lover’s quarrel, Miss Swan, but you’re blocking the entrance.”

Emma refrained from punching Regina in the face and simply turned to glower in her direction.

“Can I help you?”

“Miss Blanchard’s arraignment was pushed up a half an hour and I’m just here to make sure she is transported properly.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “I assure you, Madam Mayor, she will safely make it the hundred yards to the courthouse.”

“Well, she will now.”

August and Emma followed Regina into the office and Emma took joy in the look of shock on Regina’s face. So, she had put the key in Mary Margaret’s cell. Emma didn’t know how she’d pulled it off, but the look of almost blind rage in her eyes was all the proof she needed.

“Do I even want to know what that look is for?” August whispered as he pressed his lips against her ear.

Emma smirked and shook her head. “Later.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The arraignment was quick and dirty. Unsurprisingly Mary Margaret was charged with murder. Emma hated watching her go through this, the last thing she wanted was to be here, witnessing Regina’s glee and Mary Margaret’s suffering, but she had to be here for this. She couldn’t sit back in her office, pretending to be looking for evidence that didn’t exist. She either had to catch a miracle break or she and Gold would have to work out a way to put enough reasonable doubt into the jury’s minds to get Mary Margaret off.

August kept hold of her hand throughout the arraignment and it took every ounce of willpower for her not to lean on his shoulder and take comfort from him. There would be time for that later. Right now, she was the Sheriff and she had a goddamn job to do.

She glanced over to find him watching Gold and she could see the wheels turning in that gorgeous head of his. “What is it,” she asked.

“Nothing,” he whispered and it was the first time he’d ever lied to her. Emma opened her mouth to respond but the sight of the looks Gold sent their way silenced her.

“I’m not the only one creeped out by him, am I?”

August pressed a kiss to her forehead and squeezed her hand. “No, you’re not.” And this time, he spoke the truth.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Miss Blanchard, tell me, who is that man with the Sheriff?”

She’d just been charged with murder and her lawyer wanted to interrogate her about Emma’s love life? Seriously? Mary Margaret did her best to maintain her dignity while being placed in cuffs to be transported to the cell that was now her home.

“That’s August, he’s Emma’s…” Did Emma want people to know they were dating? And even if she did…Mary Margaret studied Gold and not for the first time that day felt completely uncomfortable. “Friend. He’s her friend,” she replied as August leaned down and pressed a kiss to Emma’s forehead.

“Friend indeed,” he muttered as August glanced up and the two made eye contact. A chill ran over her and not for the first time that day she looked forward to returning to her cell.


End file.
